Mary Robinson on Human Rights/FT

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worth reading

Vera Mattias, thought you might be interested to read this, from the
Financial Times (UK) website

The business case for human rights 
[Visions of Ethical Business]

by Mary Robinson, United Nations High
 Commissioner for Human Rights.


    I have spoken and written about the Universal
    Declaration for Human Rights many times in this year
    of its fiftieth Anniversary. And in preparing this
    article I read it once again, seeking inspiration to
    answer the question 'why should business care about
    human rights?'

    As always, reading it filled me with mixed emotions.
    On the one hand, there is deep respect for those who
    had the foresight and hope to conceive and write the
    Universal Declaration, a document that still speaks
    as purposefully to us about human dignity as it did
    fifty years ago. 

But on the other hand there is
    frustration, frustration that the vision it sets out
    of everyone being 'entitled to all the rights and
    freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
    distinction of any kind' not only remains
    unfulfilled for so many in our world, but that it
    remains a vision which many individuals cannot yet
    allow themselves to even dream of. 

As I turn to the
    question 'why should business care about human
    rights?' the Declaration helps me with the answer;
    because business needs human rights and human rights
    needs business.

    The preamble to the Universal Declaration states
    that 'every individual and every organ of society,
    keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall
    strive by teaching and education to promote respect
    for these rights and freedoms'. Business
    corporations included. Every organisation and
    individual has a legitimate right to be concerned
    and the responsibility to promote human rights.

    Fifty years ago they may not have foreseen the power
    and influence that business corporations would come
    to wield in our world, but they did allow for
    business, as part of the human community, to use its
    power with respect for human rights in mind. In many
    ways business decisions can profoundly affect the
    dignity and rights of individuals and communities.
    Business is coming to recognise this and I welcome
    the growing activities in the business community to
    establish benchmarks, promote best practice and
    adopt codes of conduct. It is not a question of
    asking business to fulfill the role of government,
    but of asking business to promote human rights in
    its own sphere of competence.

    As High Commissioner, my influence on those
    governments with suspect human rights credentials is
    more often than not limited to exerting moral
    pressure. While business corporations, offering
    something all governments want - the prize of
    foreign currency and investment - have an extra
    bargaining chip in their pockets. For human rights,
    that is an opportunity to send a message with either
    positive or negative results.

    Geneva is usually quiet and tranquil. However in May
    1998, police donned their riot gear and brought out
    the water cannons to quell a demonstration. 5,000
    people had turned out from all corners of the world
    to protest against an idea. That idea that they feel
    so strongly about is globalisation, the global
    market, removal of trade barriers, call it what you
    will and its impact on human rights. 

The message is clear; people are increasingly concerned about what
    they perceive to be the negative effects of
    globalisation on the enjoyment of human rights and
    they are prepared to act to defend the human rights
    of themselves and others. Ignore this, act
    irresponsibly and as several corporations have
    discovered to their cost, their reputation and
    bottom line is at stake.

    While this is reason enough for corporations to care
    about human rights, no one likes to be forced into
    acting. We all like to have, and are far more likely
    to act if we have a compelling and positive reason.
    In our thinking we have looked for these arguments.

    Almost every article of the Universal Declaration
    has relevance to business corporations.

    Take for instance, Article 7,

    'All are equal before the law and are entitled ... to
    equal protection of the law...'

    Can you imagine doing business in a society where
    all, and perhaps you and your corporation, are not
    equal before the law? Perhaps you have experience of
    it. Where not all are equal before the law, doing
    business is fine as long as you are on the right
    side. But who decides which is the right side? And
    how do you stay on it?

    Article 9,

    'No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest,
    detention or exile . . .'

    Can you imagine doing business in a society where
    your staff are at risk of being arrested, detained
    or exiled for no apparent reason? It is not rare,
    there have been numerous examples of late of
    business people being detained. Will expatriate
    staff be willing to stay? Can you afford to lose the
    investment in recruiting, training and developing
    individual local staff?

    Article 17,

    '. . . right to own property, alone as well as in
    association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily
    deprived of his property.'

    Can you imagine doing business in a society where
    your business cannot own property or it is at risk
    of having property removed without proper redress?

    Articles 18 and 19,

    '. . . right to freedom of thought, conscience and
    religion; . . .' and '. . . the right to freedom of
    opinion and expression; . . .'

    Are individuals whose society does not allow them to
    speak freely, to speak their mind and to practice
    their chosen religion, going to be able to speak up
    at work, if not allowed to do so elsewhere? In such
    societies, are individuals going to provide the
    creativity and innovation that is so important to
    your business' continuing competitive advantage.
    Will production errors be resolved, quality enhanced
    and new opportunities identified if society does not
    permit individuals to speak out, and to share their
    thoughts and ideas?

    Article 26,

    'Everyone has the right to education.'

    Can you imagine doing business in a society where
    education is not available to all? Will you be able
    to find sufficient skilled resources both now and in
    the years to come? Will your workforce have the
    diversity that brings both creativity and an empathy
    and understanding of the customer?

    Article 27(2),

    'Everyone has the right to the protection of the
    moral and material interests resulting from any
    scientific, literary or artistic production of which
    he is the author'

    Can you imagine doing business where such protection
    is not available?

    And speaking of equality, if women's rights are
    denied, if they are denied spending power, is your
    potential market in a country not halved or reduced
    further? If women are denied education, your
    potential to find the necessary skilled employees is
    severely constrained.

    Doing business may be feasible in the situations I
    have just described, but without knowing the risks,
    and taking action to mitigate these risks in the
    longer term, will it be sustainable? This is the
    essence of the 'business case for human rights':
    going beyond the question of businesses protecting
    their reputation - while not ignoring the potential
    cost of a damaged reputation - and looking at the
    other, both positive and negative reasons, for
    business corporations to care about human rights.
    The challenge is to turn this commitment into
    action, to respect and promote human rights.

    Corporations have a legitimate interest in human
    rights. Worldwide, groups and individuals are
    watching their actions attentively, in particular as
    they strive towards globalisation, and are expecting
    corporations to act responsibility. If they do not,
    the corporation's reputation is at stake. This adds
    to the other compelling reasons why corporations
    should care about human rights. And the Universal
    Declaration can provide business with a universally
    agreed statement of core human rights which do not
    depend on a particular country or culture. A point
    of reference for good practice and benchmarks.

    Based around the framework provided by the Universal
    Declaration and the other international human rights
    treaties the 'business case for human rights' is
    compelling.


    Mary Robinson is the United Nations High
    Commissioner for Human Rights.
    ----------------------------------------------------