About the United Nations Global Compact
The Global Compact is a UN initiative that brings together thousands of companies with UN agencies and civil society, cooperating to mainstream ten principles on human rights, labour, the environment, and the fight against corruption. The first 2 principles are based on human rights. Businesses participating in the Global Compact have agreed to develop an awareness of human rights, and to work within their sphere of influence to uphold these universal values.
- Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
- Principle 2: make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
About the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is the United Nations office with primary responsibility for promoting and protecting the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all rights established in the Charter of the United Nations and in international human rights laws and treaties.
OHCHR undertakes a number of activities in the context of its human rights mandate and to support the broader United Nations human rights programme. It serves as the secretariat to human rights treaty bodies and to the UN Human Rights Council. OHCHR conducts research and organizes consultations on key human rights issues and works towards achieving the realization of human rights in individual countries through country-level engagement.
OHCHR's work on the issue of business and human rights is focused on three areas:
- Advocacy by the High Commissioner;
- Support to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of transnational corporations and other business enterprises;
- Active involvement in the United Nations Global Compact.