UN Releases Draft Document on Framework for "Protect, Respect and Remedy"
Human rights law continues to expand, and is an increasing part of international tort claiming. Set out below are the lead in paragraphs from a new post at a Foley Hoag blog known as Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law. The entire post is quite helpful, and includes other related links.
The U.N. Special Representative for Business and Human Rights, John Ruggie, has released the long-awaited draft of his final report, the Guiding Principles for the Implementation of the United Nations "Protect, Respect and Remedy’" Framework (.pdf). The Guiding Principles are the culmination of the Special Representative’s mandate, which began in 2005, and which will conclude when the final report is delivered to the U.N. Human Rights Council in June 2011. The draft is open for public comment until January 31, 2011.
The Guiding Principles build on the Special Representative’s previous reports and are organized around the three-pillar “Protect, Respect and Remedy” policy framework first set forth in his 2008 report (.pdf). Under this framework:
- States have a duty to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including companies;
- Companies have a responsibility to respect human rights; and
- Victims of human rights abuses must have access to effective remedies.
