JOINT COMMITEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT RELEASED
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
PRESTIGIOUS COMMITTEE TELLS GOVERNMENT EXPLORE PROPOSAL FOR A COMMISSION ON BUSINESS, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Responding to the publication today (16 December) of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights’ long-awaited report on Business and Human Rights, The Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition – a group of NGOs, ethical businesses and trade unions – called on the British Government to acknowledge the findings, and put in place a new Commission on Business, Human Rights and the Environment to oversee the conduct of British companies operating overseas.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights commissioned a major inquiry into the human rights impacts of UK companies in spring this year and has heard evidence from a range of individuals and organisations including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Confederation of British Industries (CBI), the UN Special Representative on Business & Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie, and CORE.
The Committee heard how UK companies operating overseas often have no incentive to prevent their operations from leading to human rights abuses, leaving them open to risks such as litigation or damaging public campaigns. This may especially be the case in developing countries where enforcement of human rights standards is less stringent than in the UK. The Committee also heard that the UK Government’s current approach to business and human rights is incoherent and letting business down by failing to provide enough guidance to companies on how to avoid abusing human rights.
The Committee’s final report acknowledged all of these concerns and encouraged the UK Government to explore the proposal for a Commission for Business, Human Rights and the Environment. It added that a number of multinationals operate to double standards when it comes to their policies at home and overseas. There was also an acknowledgment that current UK procedures for receiving complaints against companies – called National Contact Points – are “falling far short” of providing an effective remedy. It also said that implementing a human rights approach to business would have “no impact” on UK business competiveness.
Emily Armistead of the CORE Coalition said:
“This report brings real pressure on the government to address the harm done by British companies overseas. Even business leaders agree that companies’ obligation to respect human rights extends beyond the UK’s borders.
We now urge the Government to take the plunge and establish a Commission for Business, Human Rights and Environment. Thousands of CORE’s supporters will be pressing them to do so.”
Evidence submitted to the Committee by The CORE Coalition included the following examples of UK company abuses overseas:
- Bangladeshis paid far less than a living wage making clothes for Tesco, Asda and Primark.
- indigenous communities’ livelihoods threatened by mining giant Vedanta’s operations in India
- communities in the Niger Delta forced to endure Shell’s hazardous gas flaring despite a legal ban.
Find out more about The JCHR enquiry here