Events | Implementing the Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business in the ICT Industry

Meeting Purpose

In June 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council approved new “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework”, proposed by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. This decision represents one of the most significant milestones so far on the issue of business and human rights. After six years of consultation, debate and discussion, more clarity exists today than ever before on the responsibilities that businesses hold to respect human rights.

In June 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council approved new “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework”, proposed by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. This decision represents one of the most significant milestones so far on the issue of business and human rights. After six years of consultation, debate and discussion, more clarity exists today than ever before on the responsibilities that businesses hold to respect human rights.

At the same time, two separate trends are unfolding with striking implications for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry—the scale of human rights expectations of business is rising just as developments in technology make human rights risks and opportunities far more significant for the ICT industry. So the question for the ICT industry is this: given the increasingly prominent role played by ICT in the world today, how can ICT companies most effectively implement Ruggie’s Guiding Principles? BSR is holding a series of workshops—one each in Europe, North America and Asia—to explore this question.

Benefits

• Hear from BSR’s Huma n Rights and ICT experts on the implications of the UN Protect Respect Remedy Framework and Guiding Principles for ICT companies
• Learn how peers in the ICT industry are implementing the human rights due diligence called for in the Guiding Principles
• Discuss opportunities for shared learning and collaboration
• Acquire informed ideas for how to implement the Guiding Principles in your business

Meeting Format and Preparation

This one day workshop will consist of presentation and discussion. BSR will arrange for 2-3 ICT companies to present their approach to human rights, and moderate a discussion. To inform the meeting, BSR will publish a short briefing document on ICT, human rights and the Guiding Principles. We will also speak with participants in advance to understand their expectations and approach. Questions and discussion topics for the workshop include:

• What is the human rights risk profile of the ICT industry? What types of human rights risk exist at different points in the ICT value chain?
• How can ICT companies mitigate human rights risks related to product use? How can ICT companies undertake human rights due diligence at the product, market or customer level?
• What should ICT companies do when the local law and international human rights standards conflict?

Price and RSVP

Participation in the workshop is free for BSR member companies and US$250 for non-members. For more questions or to RSVP, please contact Farid Baddache at web@bsr.org).

Agenda

Download the working agenda.