Ten Things Executives Need to Know - SS Copy

8/13/2019 Ten Things Executives Need to Know - SS Copy

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Ten Things Executives Need to Know (and Do) About Human Rights

http://logosinstitute.net/blog/ Logos Institute for Crisis Management & Executive Leadership Posted b !nthon E"ing March #$th% '## Posted in: Corporate (esponsibilit % )uman (ights % Leadership

!n expanded version of this post% *+, )uman (ights -rame"or : hat executives need to no" and do about humanrights% Part I and Part II 0 appears on the "ebsite of Ethical Corporation 1+23.

Human rights have been a concern for some companies since the anti-Apartheid divestmentcampaigns of the 1980s, but there has been no broad-based uptake of human rights as a businessdiscipline. Relativel fe! companies have human rights in their corporate vocabular .

This may be the year human rights go mainstream , thanks, largel , to the !ork of "ohnRuggie, serving for the past si# ears as the $% &ecretar 'eneral(s &pecial Representative on)usiness and Human Rights.

Ruggie has forged a !orking consensus among companies, governments and advocates thathuman rights are not *ust a business concern, but that both governments and companies havehuman rights responsibilities. +he Ruggie, or $%, rame!ork /rotect, Respect and Remed

asserts that governments must protect against abuses b companies companies must respect human rights and victims must have access to remedies .

rotect! res"ect and remedy# is a "hrase that many executives wi$$ hear and be as%ed toex"$ain over the next twe$ve months& +his spring, the $% Human Rights 2ouncil is e#pected toendorse 'uiding /rinciples for both governments and companies to meet their responsibilitiesunder the rame!ork. or the first time, companies have a clear roadmap for making human

rights part of their compliance and corporate responsibilit efforts. 3f ou are, or advise, one ofthose e#ecutives, there are ten things ou need to kno! 4and do5 about human rights6

Complete the forms of the words below:corporation 4n.5 divestment 4n.5 advocate 4n.5 remed 4n.57777. 4ad*.5 7777. 4v.5 7777. 4v.5 7777. 4v.5

abuse 4n.5 compliance 4n.5 7777. 4n.57777. 4v.5 7777. 4v.5 endorse 4v.5

'om"rehension uestions

1. hat(s meant b compliance and corporate responsibilit efforts(:

;. hat are the three pillars of the rame!ork that(s mentioned:
http://logosinstitute.net/blog/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/corporate-responsibility/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/corporate-responsibility/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/human-rights/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/human-rights/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/leadership/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/leadership/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/leadership/http://www.ethicalcorporation.com/content.asp?ContentID=7285http://www.ethicalcorporation.com/content.asp?ContentID=7285http://www.ethicalcorporation.com/content.asp?ContentID=7285http://www.ethicalcorporation.com/content.asp?ContentID=7332http://www.ethicalcorporation.com/content.asp?ContentID=7332http://www.reports-and-materials.org/Ruggie-report-7-Apr-2008.pdfhttp://www.reports-and-materials.org/Ruggie-UN-draft-Guiding-Principles-22-Nov-2010.pdfhttp://logosinstitute.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/declaration-of-human-rights.jpghttp://logosinstitute.net/blog/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/corporate-responsibility/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/human-rights/http://logosinstitute.net/blog/category/leadership/http://www.ethicalcorporation.com/content.asp?ContentID=7285http://www.ethicalcorporation.com/content.asp?ContentID=7332http://www.reports-and-materials.org/Ruggie-report-7-Apr-2008.pdfhttp://www.reports-and-materials.org/Ruggie-UN-draft-Guiding-Principles-22-Nov-2010.pdf


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*ind the missing tit$es +or each section +rom the vocabu$ary tas% sheet&

,) 'or"orate human rights res"onsibi$ities go beyond $ega$ com"$iance& Respecting human rights means not violating them, but also means addressing an adversehuman rights impacts companies ma cause or to !hich the contribute. 2ompanies can haveadverse human rights impact in situations !here no clear legal e#posure e#ists and companiesmust respect human rights even !hen governments do not.

-) ............................&&&&&&&&&&&&&&A compan (s activities and relationships determine the appropriate scope of corporate humanrights efforts. 3nternational standards international human rights and labor conventions

provide the list of relevant human rights. A chocolate brand sourcing cocoa from est Africa ise#pected to consider forced labor on cocoa farms. 3nternet and telecom providers must paattention to freedom of e#pression and the right to privac . 2ompanies must consider the humanrights issues in the places !here the operate, as !ell as the rights affected b different businessfunctions.

/) Ado"t a human rights "o$icy& &tart b referencing international human rights standards. +he form is less important than a clearcorporate commitment to respect human rights. +he strongest efforts !ill align all relevantcorporate policies, including compensation, procurement and lobb ing practices.

0) ............................&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Assessing our compan (s human rights impacts is the core concept in the Respect pillar of the

rame!ork. 3f ou haven(t considered ho! our compan touches human rights, this is the earto start. Assess actual and potential human rights impacts in our compan (s o!n operations andthe risk of complicit in relationships !ith business partners, suppliers, and others, prioriti


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4) ............................&&&&&&&&&&&&&&/rotect, Respect and Remed gives ever one a common language for addressing human rights

and business, and is alread having an impact. 'overnments !ill reference the rame!ork inefforts to regulate corporate conduct. Advocates !ill use the rame!ork to demand governmentand corporate accountabilit . =oluntar corporate, industr and multi-stakeholder human rights

programs !ill align themselves !ith the rame!ork b revising codes of conduct, strengtheninghuman rights due diligence, and establishing grievance mechanisms.

5) ............................&&&&&&&&&&&&&&+he $% rame!ork !ill shape the !a s investors evaluate our compan and ho! advocatesengage !ith our compan . 3nvestors recentl used the rame!ork in a successful campaignurging a +o ota affiliate to divest a *oint venture !ith the )urmese militar . Human rights %'>s!ill shine a light on corporate human rights due diligence, or lack thereof.

,6) ............................&&&&&&&&&&&&&&?#ecutives ma be tempted to focus e#clusivel on the Respect pillar of the rame!ork,

because it describes the responsibilities of companies. +he connections among the pillars,

ho!ever, are !here the most challenging issues arise, and !here there are likel to be significantdevelopments going for!ard.

+!o developments bear !atching6 15 ho! governments foster corporate respect for humanrights and ;5 ho! companies encourage governments to protect human rights. &tates maestablish legal liabilit for legal persons 4corporations5 and take steps to regulate firms operatingabroad. &pecific measures on the hori


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7ocabu$ary Tas% 8heet

Fill the gaps in the text with the following titles:

a. +rack and communicate our human rights performance.

b. 2onsider the full range of human rights and all of our compan (s activities and relationships.

c. &takeholders !ill use the $% rame!ork to hold our compan accountable for respectinghuman rights.

d. ?nsure that corporate human rights initiatives contain effective grievance mechanisms.

e. /a attention to ho! governments and companies connect the /rotect and Respect pillars ofthe $% rame!ork.

f. +he $% rame!ork is no! the de facto human rights standard for companies and theirstakeholders.

g. 3nvest in human rights due diligence.

*ind the words in the text to match the +o$$owing de+initions

a. to break a rule to treat disrespectfull

b. something given to make up for loss, in*ur , etc

c. the act of bu ing or getting something

d. to conduct activities aimed at influencing public officials and esp. members of a legislative bod

4people !ho make la!s5

e. precautions that are supposed to be taken b a person or compan in some conte#t

f. the fact or condition of being an accomplice, esp in a criminal act

g. to make less severe

h. the !a a compan can set right an in*ustice caused b their actions or policies

i. the state of being responsible to someone or for some action ans!erable

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Ten Things Executives Need to Know - SS Copy