New report recommends more action to prevent human rights harms in business sector

The Australian government, corporations and institutional investors have been urged to take more action to prevent corporate human rights abuses.

At the crossroads: 10 years of implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Australia, a new report by the Australian Commission on Human Rights and the Australian Human Rights Institute of UNSW Sydney examines the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in Australia.

“The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are the recognized global standard for states and companies to prevent and combat human rights abuses in connection with business,” said Professor Emeritus Rosalind Croucher AM, President of the Australian Commission on Human Rights.

“These principles were unanimously endorsed in 2011 by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Australian government supported this resolution at the United Nations. “

Read At the Crossroads: 10 Years of Implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Australia.

June 2021 marked the ten-year anniversary of the unanimous adoption of the UNGP by the United Nations Human Rights Council. These principles, which are expected of governments and businesses, are increasingly being incorporated into laws, guidelines, and business practices and standards around the world.

Professor Justine Nolan, director of the Australian Human Rights Institute, said, “Australian businesses and governments need to speak up and accept the need to repair damage so that business-related effects can be held accountable wherever they occur.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inequalities at the heart of the global economic system and has pushed those who power our global supply chains into further uncertainty. The pandemic has highlighted the need for stronger social security and a people-centered business approach. “

Professor Croucher said: “There is still a significant gap in the implementation of human rights policy in practice.

“While the report highlights some important advances, including the introduction of modern slavery reporting laws and the strengthening of the Australian complaints mechanism of the OECD National Contact Point, much remains to be done.”

The report addresses a number of key human rights issues in the Australian business context, including combating modern-day slavery, tackling the negative effects of climate change on human rights, respecting indigenous land rights and ensuring that victims have access to justice. The report also takes into account the key role institutional investors play in promoting corporate respect for human rights in the marketplace.

The report contains recommendations for governments, businesses and investors on the steps they can take to substantially implement the UNGPs. She urges corporations and institutional investors to implement the UNPs by performing human rights due diligence to identify and address human rights risks in their activities, supply chains and portfolios.

The report also suggests a number of policy and legislative updates that could be introduced by the Australian government, including strengthening Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and mandatory corporate human rights due diligence legislation. It includes the views of a wide range of Australian stakeholders from business, investment, academia, trade unions and civil society.

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