Maplecroft and the UN Global Compact are launching the Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum at the UNGC Leaders Summit in NY today. The Forum is funded by the GE Foundation and is an online, multi-stakeholder platform for multi-national corporations (MNCs) with operations, supply chains and distribution networks in regions that present high levels of human rights risk. It is designed to help companies and stakeholders learn from, understand and share experiences of real-world human rights challenges for businesses in emerging economies. The Forum includes 10 dilemmas to start with and case studies from some of the world's leading brands, plus a discussion platform. Dilemmas include: Child labour, Forced labour, Freedom of association Freedom of speech, HIV/AIDS, Housing, Human trafficking, Migrant workers and Security forces
A new resource to help multi-national companies (MNCs) respect and support human rights is being launched at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit on Thursday, 24th June, by the UN Global Compact and Maplecroft, a company that researches the risks and responsibilities of global business.
The Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum is an online, multi-stakeholder platform for MNCs with operations, supply chains and distribution networks in regions that present high levels of risk to the realisation of human rights.
The Forum is designed to help companies and stakeholders understand and share experiences of real-world challenges, particularly in emerging economies. In many cases, these challenges have no short term or straightforward solutions that will satisfy all stakeholders, representing a dilemma for responsible business.
“Emerging economies represent the new growth environment for multi-national corporations. However, respecting and supporting human rights in situations where violations are prevalent poses dilemmas for even the most responsible of companies as they are not always in a position to change the root causes,” said Alyson Warhurst, CEO of Maplecroft. “Our new Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum shines a light on the human rights landscape, whilst offering a balance of guidance and understanding.”
The online Forum will strive to enhance the collective understanding of human rights risks and responsibilities for business by offering users the opportunity to share, explore and discuss a wide range of dilemmas and good practice.
The website offers 10 dilemmas relevant to MNCs in fast growing emerging economies, with 10 more to follow in the third quarter of 2010. Current dilemmas address: Child labour, Freedom of association, Forced labour, Gender equality, Freedom of speech, Migrant workers, Security forces, Housing, Human trafficking and HIV/AIDS.
“Implementation of Principles 1 and 2 of the UN Global Compact will not always be easy or straightforward. The Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum represents an important platform through which companies and other stakeholders are invited to share their experience and understanding, and improve their ability to successfully navigate real-world human rights challenges,” stated Georg Kell, executive director of the UN Global Compact.
The Forum also presents case studies outlining approaches that MNCs and other organisations have taken, individually and in partnership, to address real world dilemmas. The case studies reveal companies’ efforts to manage or resolve dilemmas in a responsible way, offering examples of human rights strategies for other companies to learn from. Case studies include submissions from Chiquita, Cisco Systems, De Beers, Gap, HP, The International Cocoa Initiative, Manpower, The Nike Foundation, Talisman Energy, Timberland amongst others.
According to the president and CEO of the GE Foundation Bob Corcoran, “globalization – and the growth of emerging economies – means that multi-national companies are likely to come into ever greater contact with difficult and nuanced human rights challenges, creating dilemmas for responsible business. The GE Foundation is proud to fund this innovative research with the UN Global Compact and Maplecroft and hopes the forum generates a healthy debate from different stakeholder perspectives.”
Dilemmas and case studies are complemented by extensive reference to human rights resources including best practice policy documents and research from expert international organisations working in the field of human rights, and Maplecroft’s own human rights mapping and monitoring resources.
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