We understand it is hard to see exactly what human rights cover and how they are legally relevant to your business. In this article, you will find a general overview of what they are to help you see which are relevant to your business and how.
What are they?
Human rights describe the fundamental freedoms and protections that all people are entitled to. According to HRIAM, Human rights are:
Universal. All people are born with and deserve the same human rights, regardless of nationality, residence, gender, race, ethnicity, religion and cultural heritage.
Inalienable. Human rights should not be taken away except in specific situations and according to due process.
Indivisible. All human rights should be equally considered.
Interdependent and interrelated. The enjoyment of one human right often relies on the existence of other human rights. Similarly, the interference of one human right often negatively affects other human rights.
Where do they come from?
The definition of human rights and their enforcement standards are contained in the International Bill of Rights. The Bill is comprised of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Types and Examples
Human Rights Human rights are typically divided into 2 categories: civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights. Civil and political rights are of equal importance to economic, social and cultural rights.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
For civil and political rights, the government or private organisations should not act to protect a person from unneeded violations. These rights guarantee that the person can take part in civil and political life without discrimination or repression.
Examples:
the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and rights to due process and a fair trial.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
For economic, social and cultural rights, the government or private organisations should act to ensure that people can enjoy rights, freedoms and economic justice all at the same time.
Examples:
the right to work, the right to just and favourable working conditions, the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to education.
What human rights risks do you have?
In case you are interested in finding out what human rights could potentially be at risk in your operations and identifying such risk, you can make use of our human rights risk tool.
Minimum Safeguards Compliance
If you have already identified your human rights risks and want to see whether your internal processes in place to monitor adherence to human rights are sufficient, please use the 'Human Rights Compliance Assessment' and the 'Human Rights Compliance Tool'.