Policy publications by Sumi Dhanarajan
This report was written to serve as the Background Paper for the 14th Informal ASEM Seminar on Hu... more This report was written to serve as the Background Paper for the 14th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights, organised by the Asia Europe Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Its purpose is to give an overview of the topic of human rights and
business and to provide common foundations for discussion by participants during the 14th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights.
Section 1 reflects on the evolution of the business and human rights field. Propelled by community mobilisation and networked social activism during the 1990s and 2000s, a proliferation of
transnational corporate accountability norms, standards and initiatives led ultimately to the endorsement of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011. Section 1 then recalls some of the central principles and concepts of international human rights law most
relevant to area of business and human rights.
Section 2 relates developments with regard to business and human rights in the European and Asian regions respectively, including steps taken to implement the UN Guiding Principles specifically.
Section 3 addresses the four working group themes:
1. State duty to protect against human rights abuses by businesses
2. Corporate responsibility and its contribution to human rights implementation
3. Monitoring, reporting and access to remedies
4. Multi-stakeholder cooperation
The paper concludes by highlighting emerging issues that may influence the business and human agenda in the future.
Papers by Sumi Dhanarajan
Contemporary Challenges in Securing Human Rights, 2016
International Business, 2002
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 09614520500075946, Jan 19, 2007
Development in Practice, 2005
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss a wide range of significant developmen... more Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss a wide range of significant developments that have emerged in the wake of the UNs endorsement of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (GPs) in June 2011. In particular, the paper offers a preliminary assessment of how the GPs’ corporate
responsibility to respect human rights has been interpreted and to what extent it has been operationalised through government action, business behaviour and the praxis of other social actors.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a comprehensive assessment of a number of key developments related to Pillar 2 of the GPs – concerned with the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. More specifically, the paper considers a range of elements relating to corporate human rights due diligence, including: establishing a corporate human rights policy; the undertaking of human rights impact assessment; integrating findings of impact assessment, and; corporate human rights reporting.
Findings – Based on the assessment of recent developments and initiatives, the paper suggests that the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, as expressed in Pillar 2 of the GPs, embodies the culmination of significant progress in the sphere of corporate accountability. In doing so, the paper
documents a plethora of innovations in regulation and praxis, led by actors in government and the corporate sector, civil society organisations, labour unions and others, in the areas of human rights due diligence, impact assessment and reporting. Yet overall, change is slow and partial and the results
achieved are still unsatisfactory. Severe business-related human rights abuses remain endemic in many industry sectors and in many countries.
Research limitations/implications – The implementation of the GPs is at a key stage of development, with a multitude of initiatives and actors attempting to develop and influence new forms of corporate governance. This paper provides an overview and assessment of these key developments.
Originality/value – This paper provides an important assessment and synthesis of key developments related to corporate responsibility for human rights.
Keywords - Human rights, Supply chain, Impact assessment, Due diligence, Corporate accountability,
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Paper type - Conceptual paper
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Policy publications by Sumi Dhanarajan
Its purpose is to give an overview of the topic of human rights and
business and to provide common foundations for discussion by participants during the 14th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights.
Section 1 reflects on the evolution of the business and human rights field. Propelled by community mobilisation and networked social activism during the 1990s and 2000s, a proliferation of
transnational corporate accountability norms, standards and initiatives led ultimately to the endorsement of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011. Section 1 then recalls some of the central principles and concepts of international human rights law most
relevant to area of business and human rights.
Section 2 relates developments with regard to business and human rights in the European and Asian regions respectively, including steps taken to implement the UN Guiding Principles specifically.
Section 3 addresses the four working group themes:
1. State duty to protect against human rights abuses by businesses
2. Corporate responsibility and its contribution to human rights implementation
3. Monitoring, reporting and access to remedies
4. Multi-stakeholder cooperation
The paper concludes by highlighting emerging issues that may influence the business and human agenda in the future.
Papers by Sumi Dhanarajan
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss a wide range of significant developments that have emerged in the wake of the UNs endorsement of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (GPs) in June 2011. In particular, the paper offers a preliminary assessment of how the GPs’ corporate
responsibility to respect human rights has been interpreted and to what extent it has been operationalised through government action, business behaviour and the praxis of other social actors.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a comprehensive assessment of a number of key developments related to Pillar 2 of the GPs – concerned with the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. More specifically, the paper considers a range of elements relating to corporate human rights due diligence, including: establishing a corporate human rights policy; the undertaking of human rights impact assessment; integrating findings of impact assessment, and; corporate human rights reporting.
Findings – Based on the assessment of recent developments and initiatives, the paper suggests that the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, as expressed in Pillar 2 of the GPs, embodies the culmination of significant progress in the sphere of corporate accountability. In doing so, the paper
documents a plethora of innovations in regulation and praxis, led by actors in government and the corporate sector, civil society organisations, labour unions and others, in the areas of human rights due diligence, impact assessment and reporting. Yet overall, change is slow and partial and the results
achieved are still unsatisfactory. Severe business-related human rights abuses remain endemic in many industry sectors and in many countries.
Research limitations/implications – The implementation of the GPs is at a key stage of development, with a multitude of initiatives and actors attempting to develop and influence new forms of corporate governance. This paper provides an overview and assessment of these key developments.
Originality/value – This paper provides an important assessment and synthesis of key developments related to corporate responsibility for human rights.
Keywords - Human rights, Supply chain, Impact assessment, Due diligence, Corporate accountability,
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Paper type - Conceptual paper
Its purpose is to give an overview of the topic of human rights and
business and to provide common foundations for discussion by participants during the 14th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights.
Section 1 reflects on the evolution of the business and human rights field. Propelled by community mobilisation and networked social activism during the 1990s and 2000s, a proliferation of
transnational corporate accountability norms, standards and initiatives led ultimately to the endorsement of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011. Section 1 then recalls some of the central principles and concepts of international human rights law most
relevant to area of business and human rights.
Section 2 relates developments with regard to business and human rights in the European and Asian regions respectively, including steps taken to implement the UN Guiding Principles specifically.
Section 3 addresses the four working group themes:
1. State duty to protect against human rights abuses by businesses
2. Corporate responsibility and its contribution to human rights implementation
3. Monitoring, reporting and access to remedies
4. Multi-stakeholder cooperation
The paper concludes by highlighting emerging issues that may influence the business and human agenda in the future.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss a wide range of significant developments that have emerged in the wake of the UNs endorsement of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (GPs) in June 2011. In particular, the paper offers a preliminary assessment of how the GPs’ corporate
responsibility to respect human rights has been interpreted and to what extent it has been operationalised through government action, business behaviour and the praxis of other social actors.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a comprehensive assessment of a number of key developments related to Pillar 2 of the GPs – concerned with the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. More specifically, the paper considers a range of elements relating to corporate human rights due diligence, including: establishing a corporate human rights policy; the undertaking of human rights impact assessment; integrating findings of impact assessment, and; corporate human rights reporting.
Findings – Based on the assessment of recent developments and initiatives, the paper suggests that the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, as expressed in Pillar 2 of the GPs, embodies the culmination of significant progress in the sphere of corporate accountability. In doing so, the paper
documents a plethora of innovations in regulation and praxis, led by actors in government and the corporate sector, civil society organisations, labour unions and others, in the areas of human rights due diligence, impact assessment and reporting. Yet overall, change is slow and partial and the results
achieved are still unsatisfactory. Severe business-related human rights abuses remain endemic in many industry sectors and in many countries.
Research limitations/implications – The implementation of the GPs is at a key stage of development, with a multitude of initiatives and actors attempting to develop and influence new forms of corporate governance. This paper provides an overview and assessment of these key developments.
Originality/value – This paper provides an important assessment and synthesis of key developments related to corporate responsibility for human rights.
Keywords - Human rights, Supply chain, Impact assessment, Due diligence, Corporate accountability,
UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Paper type - Conceptual paper