• Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
• Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

The responsibility for human rights does not rest with governments or nation states alone. Human rights issues are important both for individuals and the organisations that they create.

As part of its commitment to the Global Compact, the business community has a responsibility to uphold human rights both in the workplace and more broadly within its sphere of influence. A growing moral imperative to behave responsibly is allied to the recognition that a good human rights record can support improved business performance.

For more information on how companies can implement human rights policies, see the following network members' case studies:

Arup - The Arup Cause
De Beers - Mwadui 'Community Diamond' Partnership
Impact Development Training Group - The Zambia HIV/AIDS Leadership Forum