“Corporate Social Responsibility in the Middle East”

Istanbul, 19-20 June 2013

Business Commitment toHuman Rights

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre www.business-humanrights.org

Why a human rights approach?

human rights are grounded in internationally-accepted and recognized standards

Irene Khan, former Secretary-General of Amnesty International, noted: "Human rights are rooted in law. Respecting and protecting them was never meant to be an optional extra, a matter of choice. It is expected and required. It should be part of the mainstream of any company's strategy, not only seen as part of its corporate social responsibility strategy."

CSR approach tends to be top-down

Human rights approach is bottom-up with the individual at the centre, not the corporation.

From a company’s perspective, this means that it is an effective framework to use when assessing potential risks the business may face throughout its operations.

CSR VS Business & Human Rights

There is a strong ‘business case’ for respecting human rights, companies are obliged to respect human rights at all times, not just when it suits them.

-Working towards a safe workplace for women, free from sexual harassment definitely maintain skilled women in work.

-Communication companies who shut down their services in Egypt during the Tahrir square demonstration, suffered heavily from consumers’ “sanctions” post the events.

-(Extractive sector) Oil drilling companies in Egypt taking no consideration of the livelihoods in the region

The business case

• Discrimination against women (mandated by law in Saudi Arabia)• Practical barriers to freedom of association (widespread –Iraq,

UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Syria…)• Unequal pay between men and women (widespread)• Other forms of discrimination• Harassment of colleagues in the office• Restrictions on freedom of speech• Selling of arms selling to repressive countries (Syria, Saudi Arabia)• Selling of surveillance software – and attacks on privacy (Egypt,

KSA, Yemen, Syria, Iran, UAE)• Migrant workers’ working conditions• Poor safety measures • Abuses by private security companies hired for protection• IT and telecom companies’ complicity in surveillance and

censorship

Human rights dilemmas in MENA

1. Company response process

CompanyNGO,

civil society

Resource Centre

Website1.5 million

hits

Company response process

For A Better LifeMigrant Worker Abuse in Bahrain and the Government Reform Agenda

H U M A NR I G H T SW A T C H

2. Positive initiatives by companies

Remarks from a roundtable in Cairo:

Co-hosted by the Global Business Initiative, UN Global Compact, Egyptian Corporate Responsibility Centre & others:

3. Guidance

UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights

ILO instruments, such as the Tripartite Declaration

OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

UN Global Compact

ISO 26 000 standard

Multi-stakeholder initiatives for particular sectors

Company-level human rights and CSR policies

Relevant frameworks

Integrating respect for human rights:

Make a public commitment to respect human

rights Tell people what you are doing

Provide a solution if things go wrong

Check for human rights risks

Take action to deal with risks you

identify

Monitor your progress

The Guiding principles on Business and Human Rights in MENA

• A new development of the human rights concept

• Little knowledge about the GPs among civil society, government, business, unions, academia and the media

• Lack or no making use of GPs

• Low levels of awareness on how CSR relates to Business and Human Rights

• Minimal advocacy efforts by civil society relating to GPs

Ways forward• Mainstreaming Principles into existing initiatives (domestically and

regionally).• Urging states to incorporate GPs into legislations.• GPs can be a basis for development of corporate human rights policies and

standards• GPs can be a good tool for advocacy with states and corporations• GPs could be a good authoritative reference for developing a progressive

jurisprudence.• Can be taken forward by similar initiatives at the regional level: OECD,

Working Group of ACHPR on Extractives Industries.• On the road to a binding instrument on the accountability of PSMCs for HR

violations. • Resorting to, and import GPs into, opportunities which domestic laws and

remedies currently offer: See ICJ Access to Justice Studies, US ATCA, SA PSMC Act, Alternative mechanisms, startegic litigation.

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Sa’eda Al-Kilani and Rania Fazah

Middle East & North Africa Researchers & Representatives,

based in Jordan & Lebanon

Teşekkür Ederim شكرا

Thank You!Merci!

Gracias!Grazie!

Obrigado!谢谢 !