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

[IBLF is a non-representative organisation and does not reflect the views of its member companies]

"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. 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 wholeheartedly welcome the Draft Human Rights Principles and Responsibilities for Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises which go further than any of the existing codes and guidelines in defining human rights responsibilities of the private sector. The Draft Principles are the most authoritative and comprehensive set of guidelines to date which make the UDHR applicable to companies. The inclusive, cross-sector consultation process, led by Professor Weissbrodt, has ensured that as many representative voices as possible have been taken into account. The Draft Principles are complementary to the UN Global Compact and could very usefully build upon the human rights components of that initiative.

We sincerely hope that the Draft Principles will be adopted by the Commission 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."

Frances House IBLF 24 July 2002