IBLF Statement of support for UN Draft Human Rights Principles and Responsibilities for Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises  

"The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) works with multinational companies to promote responsible business practices. It does this through partnership with NGOs and public sector bodies, in particular in developing countries and emerging markets. It engages with but does not represent its member companies. One of our key areas of focus is business and human rights where we engage with companies and stakeholders to raise awareness of specific human rights challenges, corporate responsibilities and constructive responses. We work closely with Amnesty International, having jointly published "Human Rights - is it any of your business?", a management primer for companies, and "Business and Human Rights - a Geography of Corporate Risk" raising awareness of human rights risks in six industry sectors globally. The IBLF has also been involved in the UN Global Compact from the outset.  

We welcome the UN Sub-Commission Draft Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights, which is the most authoritative and comprehensive set of guidelines to date on the applicability of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to companies. They distill the numerous other sets of human rights guidelines, providing a unique common reference point for companies and bringing much needed clarity to a difficult area. Relevant to all businesses, large or small, the Norms do not attempt to provide a “one-size fits all” approach, but rather offer specific human rights guidance on the diverse challenges affecting a broad spectrum of industries. The Norms reinforce initiatives such as the UN Global Compact, the ILO Conventions and other human rights related guidelines. The inclusive, cross-sector consultation process has ensured that as many representative voices as possible have been taken into account. 

We hope that the Draft Norms, together with the elucidating commentary, will be adopted by the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and that significant emphasis be placed on strong implementation  and verification in order to strengthen the framework in which companies, large and small, multinational and domestic, are held to account for their human rights performance."

IBLF

July 2003