12 June 2019: The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) published a discussion paper that explores the connections between human rights, responsible business conduct and the 2030 Agenda. The paper cautions against “corporate compartmentalization of the UNGPs and the 2030 Agenda,” and issues several recommendations for businesses and States.

The paper titled, ‘Responsible Business Conduct as a Cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda: a Look at the Implications,’ was released on 11 June 2019. It refers to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) as an important contribution by business to the realization of the SDGs. The UNGPs were unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011, and are the first universally accepted international framework on business and human rights.

Per the paper, there are various shared characteristics between the 2030 Agenda and the UNGPs, namely: they do not create any new international legal obligations for States, but reiterate binding human rights obligations contained within existing international legal instruments; they both contain a focus on implementation to realize their respective objectives, although neither of them explicitly call for States to adopt a single broad form of national implementation; and both call for policy coherence.

The paper indicates that corporate compartmentalization of the UNGPs and the 2030 Agenda is the first barrier to enabling integrated approaches by businesses. It explains that while responsibility for human rights often sits with legal, compliance or sustainability departments, measures to work with the 2030 Agenda can sit with departments ranging from communication and product development to community engagement.

The authors cite a 2018 Oxfam study of SDG-related efforts of 76 of the world’s largest businesses, which finds scarce evidence that companies are applying a human rights lens when designing and implementing their SDG engagement. They add that the Global Reporting Initiative and the UN Global Compact have published guidance on how to better integrate reporting on human rights with reporting on the SDGs.

The paper calls upon business to, inter alia:

• ensure internal communication, coordination and oversight across SDG and human rights or responsible business efforts, including in corporate reporting;
• take action to identify the root causes associated with human rights challenges in the value chain, and take both operational and systemic action to address them, including through partnerships; and
• use human rights due diligence to guide and drive activities designed to “do good.”

It also recommends that States:

• undertake integrated national action planning to ensure policy coherence between measures to implement UNGPs and the 2030 Agenda;
• use the 2030 Agenda follow-up and review process to strengthen efforts in the area of business and human rights;
• encourage corporate due diligence and reporting to deliver on the SDGs; and
• adopt a human rights-based approach to measures aiming at implementing the 2030 Agenda, including financing for development.

Also on human rights and responsible business, on 12 June DIHR launched a database that provides almost 100 real examples of businesses that have taken action to address their salient human rights issues, and links them to specific SDGs and targets. The human rights issues are: child labor; community rights; discrimination and harassment; forced labor; freedom of association and collective bargaining; freedom of expression; human rights and security; land rights; rights of indigenous peoples; wages; water and sanitation; and working hours. Actions are categorized also by the steps of the Human Rights Due Diligence process outlined in the UNGPs.

In January 2019, DIHR released the SDG-Human Rights Data Explorer, which allows users to explore the links between human rights and the SDGs. The database aims to promote a more coherent, systematic framework for implementing the 2030 Agenda as well as to facilitate its follow-up and review. [Publication: Responsible Business Conduct as a Cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda: a Look at the Implications] [DIHR website]