The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, provide the globally recognised framework for preventing and addressing human rights impacts linked to business activity. They are built on three mutually reinforcing pillars:

1. The State duty to protect human rights – Governments must ensure that laws, policies and regulatory frameworks effectively prevent business-related human rights abuses.
2. The corporate responsibility to respect human rights – All businesses, regardless of size or sector, should avoid causing or contributing to human rights harms and conduct human rights due diligence to identify, prevent and mitigate risks.
3. Access to remedy – When rights are violated, victims must have access to effective judicial and non-judicial remedies.

Together, these principles establish a common global standard that guides both States and companies in integrating respect for human rights into economic activity.