All Articles About Human Rights

BSR Insight Article: Companies Plea for Democratic Resolution in Honduras

Ryan Flaherty, Manager, Advisory Services

In a good example of public policy engagement in support of human rights, four leading apparel brands and retailers sourcing from Honduras collaborated with the Maquila Solidarity Network to respond to recent political instability in that country. Below is an excerpt from their letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that underscores the importance of using democratic processes rather than military action to resolve domestic disputes. Read more →

Posted: August 4, 2009 | Topics: Civil & Political Rights, Consumer Products, Human Rights

BSR Insight Article: ILO Experts Guide Companies on Best Labor Practices

Are workers in your supply chain free to organize? What can you do to prevent trafficking of migrant labor? These questions and more can be answered by the new International Labour Organization's (ILO) HelpDesk—a free and confidential service that can help your company align its operations with the ILO's socially responsible labor principles. Read more →

Posted: August 4, 2009 | Topics: Human Rights, Labor Migration, Supply Chain

Blog: Demonstrating the ROI for Responsible Labor Practices

Nikki Weston

Return on investment. It’s the Holy Grail of corporate social responsibility. Everyone wants to make the business link between responsible labor and competitiveness, but how to do it? Actually coming up with indicators that can accurately measure things like the business return on an investment in responsible labor is not a simple matter. Read more →

Posted: July 16, 2009 | Topics: Human Rights, Return on Investment

BSR Insight Article: Human Rights and Public Policy

Faris Natour, Director, Human Rights

The recently introduced Congo Conflict Minerals Act, a proposed U.S. law aimed at increasing transparency in the sourcing of minerals tied to civil war and used in many electronics, is the latest sign of renewed government interest in business and human rights. Human rights challenges for companies typically emerge when governments fail to fulfill their duty to protect their citizens’ rights, either willfully or for lack of resources. To help close these governance gaps, responsible public policy should be a key component of every company’s human rights strategy. BSR recommends that companies take the following steps: Read more →

Posted: July 14, 2009 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Human Rights, Mining

Report: Human Rights in a Wired World

Dunstan Allison Hope, Managing Director, Advisory Services; Faris Natour, Director, Human Rights; Kimberly Murphy, Former Conference and Special Projects Manager

Sixty years after the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the world finds itself in a very different place, where almost anyone, anywhere, has the potential to access an endless source of information and communicate directly with the rest of the world. Information and communications technology (ICT) has been one of the most powerful drivers of change in our global society and has greatly shaped how we protect and advance human rights today. Read more →

Posted: June 28, 2009 | Topics: Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, New Media, Stakeholder Relations, Strategy & Integration, Women & Sustainability | Download (PDF)