Home / News & Events / Archive
London, Dec 9, 2004 – Ten companies participating in the Business Leaders
Initiative on Human Rights (BLIHR), including six Global Compact participants,
launched a report today detailing their progress in defining the role of
business in human rights. The report, presented at The 2004 International
Business and Human Rights Seminar, comes to the conclusion that a single
universal framework for corporate responsibility based on internationally
recognized human rights standards is needed. It further states that the “United
Nations Norms on the Responsibilities of Trans-national Corporations and Other
Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights” (the Norms) could provide a
useful starting place for developing such a framework .
The ten
BLIHR member companies reporting their progress are: ABB, Barclays PLC, Gap
Inc., Hewlett Packard, MTV Networks Europe, National Grid Transco, Novartis,
Novo Nordisk, Statoil and The Body Shop International.
The 2004
International Business and Human Rights Seminar is being chaired by Mary
Robinson, the former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, who is currently Executive Director of ‘Realizing Rights: The
Ethical Globalization Initiative’ and Chair of the ‘Business Leaders Initiative
on Human Rights’ (BLIHR).
Speakers at this year’s
Seminar included senior representatives from: ABB, Barclays, British Government,
International Finance Corporation (World Bank), F&C Asset Management, Global
Reporting Initiative, MTV National Grid Transco, Networks Europe, The Novartis
Foundation for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact Office, Trades Union
Congress and Transparency International.
John
Morrison: Tel +44-7887-684-948 john.morrison@respecteurope.com
Scott
Jerbi: Tel: +41-7942-32006 scott.jerbi@eginitiative.org
Please click here for a list of participants of the International
Business and Human Rights Seminar.
Please click to visit the Seminar’s website.
Please click here to download the meeting
report.
