Corporations increasingly are embracing the dual challenges of maximizing profits while also promoting the protection of human rights. The latter is at the core of corporate social responsibility and it holds the promise of being good for business. Corporate strategic philanthropy plays a central role in this dual mission of profitability and responsibility. This Good Practice Note provides the context for and offers recommendations relating to each of these elements while demonstrating how corporations are using the shift from traditional philanthropy to strategic philanthropy in the most valuable and measurable way.

Adopted in Athens in 2006 to engage the worldwide business community to participate in anti-trafficking efforts. Seven principles outline action plans for business to contribute to the eradication of human trafficking.

Seeks to advance the discussion on how the private sector can make positive contributions to peace in conflict-affected and high-risk areas around the world and, as a result, help to the realization of SDG16. This document complements existing materials such as the UN Global Compact’s Guidance on Responsible Business in Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas with a new perspective on deliberate contributions to peace by companies.

In recent years, companies have ramped up their efforts in the area of sustainable supply chain management. This Good Practice Note is focused on what businesses can do to better support workers in their supply chain, including through supporting workers’ assertion of their human rights. This Note explores some of the good practices, advantages and pitfalls related to working with suppliers and other stakeholders, especially trade unions, to support workers in the supply chain, including in assertion of their human rights.

An assessment tool that enables companies and civil society partners to understand corporate impacts on multi-dimensional poverty. As a tool to help implement the SDGs, the Poverty Footprint provides a comprehensive overview of factors that influence poverty, and it emphasizes stakeholder engagement and partnership between companies and civil society as a means for establishing pro-poor business strategies.

Report from a multi-stakeholder meeting convened on 11 December 2014 to highlight successful interventions by business in support of Ebola response, identify lessons learned, and explore how success can be replicated. The Report outlines the role of business in long-term regional recovery, and considers how to foster more effective collaboration across sectors to face future global public health challenges.

Lawyers are increasingly expected to raise ethical and moral—as well as legal— considerations faced by their client transnational corporations as a matter of professional responsibility. In turn, they often serve a “moral leadership” role. Leadership involves perceiving challenges and opportunities just over the horizon. This Good Practice Note aims: (1) to illustrate how transnational corporations' in- house corporate counsel are perfectly situated to propel their corporations to adopt practices that ensure respect for human rights; and (2) to encourage this positive role by concisely highlighting key lessons learned and good practices.

Reviews the recent history of such partnerships, and makes recommendations for enhancing their effectiveness and scale.

Describes how National Human Rights Institutions and Global Compact Local Networks can collaborate to help businesses understand and meet their human rights responsibilities and commitments.

An interactive tool to improve the effectiveness and developmental value of partnerships between the UN system and the private sector. 

Explores ten companies and how they deal with various human rights issues. Emphasizes the need for cohesive and sometimes over-arching corporate policies on human rights engagement. Fourth volume in the Embedding Human Rights in Business Practices series.

Advances a common approach to corporate water disclosure that addresses the complexity and local nature of water resources.