A new era for business and human rights

The purpose of this project was to provide stakeholders with a concise and poignant human rights resource with real-world examples.

In their interview, the team from twentyfifty provide their unique insights and perspectives on the world of human rights in business. They provide guidance on where progress can be made “[it is] possible with a change in mindset from a “compliance-orientated” to a “leadership-orientated” approach to human rights” and advice on the importance of “translating the language of human rights into something that the businesses understand”.

The collection starts at the very beginning, when the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011) marked the ‘end of the beginning,’ ushering in a new era. A wave of new organizations, policies, and activities have led to hope and opportunities but have also caused trappings and challenges. The task of the day is to keep pace and hear through the noise. Navigating a New Era of Business and Human Rights is an attempt to do just that. This collection illuminates the interconnectivity of an array of topics and provides tips on how to diagnose problems and find the right questions. Contributors invite stakeholders to think about familiar questions and issues in new ways: What if the marriage between business and human rights is more fragile than we think?

twentyfifty and more than thirty other frontline contributors provide their insights. Each chapter tackles a vexing issue in the field of business and human rights (BHR). Individually and collectively, the chapters afford a compass of sorts for stakeholders to orient themselves in an ever-evolving and often overwhelming landscape.

Click here to download the book.