A/HRC/26/20
Principles as one key element in helping achieve greater accountability, coherence and
scale – both globally and at the country level. The Secretary-General is encouraged that
significant activities to integrate the business and human rights agenda have taken place
within individual entities with respect to specific aspects of business impacts on human
rights. A non-exhaustive sample is provided below.
33.
In 2013, the Global Compact launched a reference guide to the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,13 which also reflects the responsibility to
respect human rights as set out in the Guiding Principles. In its strategy for 2014–2016, the
Global Compact focuses on four priorities: participant engagement, local networks, a global
portfolio of issues and responsible business in support of United Nations goals and issues.
These focus areas offer important opportunities for building business capacity on human
rights.14
34.
To further the alignment of government legislation, regulations, policies, plans and
programmes with international standards on children’s rights and business, UNICEF has
contributed to the drafting and adoption of official guidance on the subject. UNICEF
supports the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and plays an important role
in disseminating and raising awareness around the Committee’s general comment No. 16.
UNICEF is in the process of developing technical implementation tools on children’s rights
and business for national Governments and a fact sheet on children’s rights and business for
national human rights institutions.
35.
In collaboration with the Global Compact, the United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) supports the Women’s
Empowerment Principles, which offer a platform for business to contribute to the
advancement of women in the workplace, the marketplace and the community.15 While the
Women’s Empowerment Principles were developed for business enterprises, they also
provide a tool and platform for other stakeholders in their engagement with business.
36.
UNEP is working on an environment, social and economic sustainability framework,
which will set minimum standards for sustainability for UNEP and its implementing
partners, with a view to identifying and managing environmental, social and economic
issues. The Guiding Principles could be considered along with other relevant principles and
guidance documents in the process to review the draft.
37.
UNEP has also initiated a project within the UNEP Finance Initiative, a partnership
with some 200 financial institutions, to draw up a report to throw more light on situations
where banks, through their lending or investment activities, can cause, create or have links
to adverse human rights impacts. The report is expected in 2014. The UNEP Finance
Initiative has further developed an online human rights guidance tool for the financial
sector and a briefing for leaders of financial institutions.
C.
Activities at the country level
38.
The Secretary-General has recognized that United Nations resident coordinators and
country teams can play a strategically crucial role in promoting dialogue among
Governments, business enterprises and civil society, and by promoting human rights due
13
14
15
See A Business Reference Guide to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples (New York, 2013). Available from
www.unglobalcompact.org/Issues/human_rights/indigenous_peoples_rights.html.
See www.unglobalcompact.org/news/821-02-10-2014.
See www.weprinciples.org.
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