Integrating Human Rights into Business : Better Strategy for Managers (Part 2 : Practice)

Note this paper if the second part of Part 1 : See it at :

http://www.humanitaire-leadership-management-conflit.com/2018/09/integrating-human-rights-into-business-better-strategy-for-managers.html

1. Introduction

Integrating Human Rights in Business course is among lessons that provide accurate skills for various category of people. Stakeholders in their regular business need to have ensure that Human Rights is respected.

As future manager and leaders its prepare us to better know how integrating Human Rights in our organization. In addition, as a professional in the United Nations, I was trained and got a certificate on: i) Human Rights Responsibilities (26-Jul-2016); ii) Human Rights and peace keeping (03-Oct-2014); iii) Introduction to Human Rights (from 28/03 au 11/06/2014) and iv) Monitoring of Human Rights (2008). See attached certificates.

As a Jurist, this paper of Integrating Human Rights in Business has an importance. it helps students, managers and leaders to better understand how to integrate Human Rights in Policies and monitor its execution in organizational culture and employee’s behavior.

For businessmen, it helps executives to understand and apply current good practice in identifying and managing human rights issues across the operations, supply chains and product portfolios of large multi-national corporations. Also, this course intends primarily for senior executives and Board members, who may have oversight of the human rights process but are not responsible for day to-day implementation, to help them shape their own company’s approach. Human rights professionals within corporations may also find this publication useful to inform colleagues and initiate conversations about their companies’ human rights impacts.

Meanwhile, growth in client demand since recent years has imposed the need for responsibility of businesses to respect human rights. Since then, pressure has increased on companies to identify and address human rights issues across their businesses. Failing to address human rights issues can risk damaging brand value and reputation and can also bring an increasing risk of litigation and of non-compliance with a growing body of legislation in the area.

A growing number of companies are becoming aware of the contribution they can make to advancing human rights within their spheres of influence and the benefits such an approach can have for their businesses. While human rights continue to be the primary responsibility of governments, companies can do a lot within the context of their own business to support and respect the observance of human rights. Being proactive on human rights can make good business sense, as well as being the right thing to do.

This paper provides some elements on how to integrate Human Rights in Business. It can help business leaders and managers in large and medium-sized enterprises, private and state-owned, who would like to develop their understanding of human rights in business practice.

2. PRACTICE  : INTEGRATING HUMAN RIGHTS IN BUSINESS (Part 2 of 1)

2.1. Human rights in strategy: key steps for your business

2.2.1. Determine out what you are already doing

To better understand this matter, we need to precise that as each organization has its own activities, the integration of human rights in business depends on established procedures and practices. Legal requirements, negotiated agreements and policies on such issues as data protection, wage fixing, working hours and holidays, non-discrimination, occupational health and safety, and product safety, are all founded in human rights and form part of a company’s relationship with stakeholders. Thus human rights will be adapted to the existing situation to better fit with standards.

2.2.2. Identify risks and opportunities and then the priorities for action.

Each organization has its own modus operandi and its procedures. Thus, it is required to map its existing policies and undertake a gap analysis to establish how well human rights issues are covered and whether additional policies are needed. A crucial part of the gap analysis is to identify human rights risks and dilemmas facing your business operations. Many cases of human rights dilemmas faced by businesses around the world daily appear for which each organization must take courageous steps. This include:

Human rights risks and dilemmas – some examples

1. Corruption: working in an area where there are local corrupt financial practices, a lack of laws, and the improper administration of justice, leading to limited respect for human rights.
2. Privacy: working in an area where there is on culture of balancing privacy and public actions especially while providing information about customers.
3. Security: working in an area where there is no security and protection in a context when security forces are accused of undisciplined behavior and human rights abuses over population on daily basis.
4. Housing: having difficulties for evaluating the financial impact of upgrading staff quarters to international minimum requirements when performing a due diligence of a factory that you plan to take over.
5. Discrimination: working in an area where there is a lot of discrimination based on the existing local culture.
6. Rest, leisure and paid holidays: the need for keeping production costs competitive when you operate in a country where there is no legal mandate for paid holidays, but you wish to follow international standards.

2.2.3. Define and embed appropriate management responsibilities

A strong commitment to human rights from a company’s senior leaders is a prerequisite for embedding human rights into a company’s operations and activities. Support from senior leaders ensures that human rights issues are taken seriously and become part of business strategy. Several companies have found that having a member of the board of directors or executive management team assume overall responsibility or human rights-relevant issues has been important in ensuring that these matters receive the required degree of attention. Clear lines of accountability have also proven to be vital. These companies typically have a designated senior manager who is responsible for implementing the company’s human rights policies and driving performance improvement. The senior manager generally reports to the executive level and may be responsible for one of several possible functions / departments in the company, such as human resources, procurement, legal affairs, public affairs, or the sustainability department.

A range of various officer in charge of many responsibilities may vary from one organization to another. For example, responsibilities for public safety, occupational health, environment, inclusion and diversity, human rights, business ethics, and community involvement, finance, reviewing the management of non-financial issues, policies, and standards and for reviewing the performance of the Group, dissemination and effective application of the Code of Conduct across all sectors of the Company, dealing with any human rights violations, implementing and monitoring the Group’s Human Rights, etc. Such responsibilities can be attributed to groups, councils, individual agents, teams, task forces groups, etc. that must ensure all is well implanted.

2.2. How to integrate human rights into your company’s activities?

The question requires specific answers due to the complexity of the process that involves several organizational levels and different types of operations in different parts of the world. The process can be progressive or immediate based on the capability of the organization.

2.2.1.  Include human rights in your existing policies

A policy statement sets out the direction and gives the overall goals for a company in a certain area of activity. It should drive the management of the activity in the company and be supported by programs and objectives throughout the organization, to ensure that the policy and related commitments are implemented and maintained. More and more companies include human rights either as a policy or as part of other policies in the governance structure.

2.2.2. Develop specific human rights policies where appropriate

When an organization needs to implement human rights policy in its business, it should make a verification if there are appropriate responses for these questions:

• Does the policy comply with existing international human rights conventions and norms, such as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work?
• Is the policy relevant to your company and its sphere of influence?
• Does the policy include a commitment to respect, protect and promote human rights and to avoid complicity in human rights abuses?
• Does the policy extend to all parts of the organization and other existing policies such as health and safety, procurement, and human resources?
• Does the policy include your company’s expectations of its partners, joint ventures, customers, and supply chain?

2.2.3. Make local policies to meet local situations

Commonly, it may be beneficial for international businesses to use local policies based on corporate standards and national requirements. These local policies need to be translated into local languages to facilitate their understanding and implementation. However, local policies should not contradict the general corporate standards. For example, in some cultures it is common practice for bribes to be sought and made, while at the international level such practices are unlawful as well as being irreconcilable with a commitment to human rights.

2.2.4.  Ensure full implementation of policies and review their outcomes

Group and local policies should be the overall responsibility of identified individuals within the business who are tasked with ensuring the policies are fully implemented. These individuals should ensure that there are enough resources for implementation, the results are monitored, and the policies are regularly reviewed. Even the most clearly defined policies will require interpretation. The policy owner should act as a focal point for dealing with human rights issues that arise through implementation and should have access to both local and international expertise.

2.3. Human rights in Communications

2.3.1. Share understanding of why human rights are important to business communications

Communicating is a major regular and important approach for the existence of an organization. This is a key element for protecting balancing freedom of expression with the protection of personal or private information and the participation of stakeholders is essential. The company’s human rights policy, procedures, and performance should be documented and communicated to employees; for instance, through codes of business conduct. They should also be made available through the corporate website, company publications, annual reports, and notice boards – and in local languages, where appropriate. In addition, companies should encourage suppliers to publicize to their employees the obligations they have undertaken to uphold human rights in their business relations. Such approach can enhance service delivery and profitability for all stakeholders.

2.3.2. Integrate human rights into your internal communications

Internal communication is critical to developing an effective human rights management system. Consistent and well-presented top-down communication within a company serves to inform about human rights within the business strategy. Employees should be informed about human rights risks and opportunities that the company faces in its operations. The performance indicators that are used to monitor and measure the efficiency of the human rights management system should also be communicated to all. It is particularly important for businesses to communicate to all employees the principal drivers behind human rights-based initiatives and their relevance to the long-term strategy of the company. The latter can prevent the marginalization of initiatives and ensure that specialized departments handling human rights issues are fully integrated into the company. An interactive approach to internal communications may generate greater understanding and a flow of innovative ideas and proposals on how to improve established practices and procedures.

Efficient lines of communication with employees are also needed to ensure effective non-compliance reporting and whistle-blowing. This requires clearly defined policies and procedures on the subject and clear contact points in the organization. Human rights issues should be communicated using simple and straightforward terminology, translated into relevant languages, and made widely accessible, including to employees with disabilities. It may be useful to initially address human rights issues using business terminology, since human rights may appear overly political or legalistic and may create barriers or misunderstanding. It is key that communications are followed up by encouraging a culture of human rights recognition and respect in the organization; it may be necessary to develop change management strategies to best facilitate this.

• Ensuring good internal; and external communication

The communication must be internal or external. For example, based on the internal communication, if local communities want to communicate with the company through protest, the company should respect their right to freedom of expression and should not seek to repress demonstrations or ask governments to do so, even if the company does not agree with the message or the style of communication. In gathering and retaining information about employees, customers, or others, companies should follow data protection rules and respect the right to privacy. This is especially true where companies hold sensitive health or other private information gathered for the company’s human resources files.

As for internal communications, a company should ensure that human rights are protected in all its external communications.  Any effective human rights communication should be appealing and attractive enough to awaken and sustain the necessary level of interest, whilst accurately presenting key messages. A company needs to do more than just report on its human rights approach; it should ensure that human rights are protected in all its communications, including data protection, personal privacy, and company confidentiality. Companies may also be responsible for the actions of their employees while at work, such as the use of the internet or possible e-mail abuse.

A company’s human rights record is central to its accountability and can affect its reputation. To be accountable to stakeholders, a company must be transparent about its policies, approach and performance. Open and transparent communications on performance and a willingness to act constructively following external advice are keys to success. The sphere of influence of some businesses, such as those involved in the media and communications, may lead them to have a significant impact (positive or negative) on how human rights are viewed and respected in society.

Note : See the following part at Part 3 at :

http://www.humanitaire-leadership-management-conflit.com/

2018/09/integrating-human-rights-into-business-better-strategy-for-managers-part-3-implementation.html