Big Issues - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

Labour Rights

The latest news on labour rights and our work supporting and advancing the labour rights of workers in global supply chains.

Who Pays For The Crisis?

This portal focuses on the key intersection between supply chain resilience, purchasing practices and worker rights.

Migrant workers in global supply chains

The ILO estimates there are over 169 million international migrant workers globally. In some regions and particular sectors, migrants make up the majority or a significant minority of the workforce. In each of the Gulf states, for example, migrants make up between 60 and 95% of the working population. Northern, Southern and Western Europe, and North America are also key receiving regions for migrant workers. Globally, in sectors such as construction, agriculture, transport and health care, migrants make a vital contribution. However, while labour migration brings economic, social, and cultural benefits to migrants, and to their countries of origin and destination, migrant workers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Such labour violations begin during recruitment, when many workers are charged extortionate or illegal recruitment fees, while employers fail to take responsibility for covering the cost of recruitment (Employer Pays Principle), to detect and reimburse payments. This can lead to deleterious human rights impacts, including debt bondage for individuals, and negatively impact on countries where remittances form a large contribution to GDP, such as Nepal. Recruitment agencies may also promise good working conditions that do not materialise upon arrival. Low-income migrants are particularly over-represented in sectors with high degrees of informality that lack labour rights protection. Further, migrant workers may have limited knowledge of their labour rights in or the language of the host nation, key barriers to support and remedy.

KnowTheChain

KnowTheChain is a resource for companies and investors to understand and address forced labour risks within their supply chains.

Natural Resources and Just Energy Transition

Energy, minerals, land and water sit at the heart of the transition to low-carbon economies, and at the start of every supply chain. However, the use of our planet's resources is all too often entwined with human rights abuse. At the other end of the value chain - renewable energy developers must also ensure they respect human rights to retain public support.
Find out why we must ensure that the transition is both fast and fair.

Shared prosperity models & Indigenous Peoples' leadership for a just transition

News and resources from Indigenous Peoples Rights International and Business & Human Rights Resource Centre exploring the significant opportunity of Indigenous co-ownership of renewable energy projects, for an energy transition that is fast, just and equitable.

Just energy transition principles for human rights in business and investment

Extractives & Transition Minerals

Human rights impacts of the extractive industries and industry-specific initiatives to improve companies’ human rights practices

Technology & Human Rights

Technology offers powerful tools for society, but restrictions to digital freedom, and developments in artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, raise serious concerns about the impacts on human rights and the future of work.

Digital Freedom

Latest news and developments on declining digital freedom and key reports, guidance and tools

Gig Economy

Human rights implications and legal and policy rights protection frameworks for gig economy workers

Automation

Impacts of growing automation and mechanisation on work and human rights

Gender, Business & Human Rights

Applying an intersectional approach is the most powerful way to tackle unfair treatment and transform the status quo. Gender justice must lie at the heart of business and human rights.

Tools & Guidance

Tools and guidance to strengthen connections between gender, business and human rights.

Research & Analysis

Unpack the gendered dimensions of different issues

Webinars, Videos & Podcasts

Watch and listen to different issues related to gender, business and human rights

Human Rights Defenders & Civic Freedoms

HRDs’ work is essential to the business and human rights movement because of their critical importance for ensuring corporate responsibility and accountability. Yet, attacks on them are growing. This hub brings together news on these advocates and communities - specifically on land, environmental and labour defenders, guidance for companies and investors, and supportive business actions. It also links to our database of attacks and interview series.

Land & Environmental Defenders

Labour Rights Defenders

Company & investor support for HRDs

Corporate Legal Accountability

Corporate Legal Accountability (CLA) considers the legal responsibility of companies for human rights abuses, including through legislation and litigation. This hub provides latest news, analysis, resources, and cases on CLA to help advocates end corporate impunity for human rights abuses.

Lawsuit Profiles

Blogs & Interviews

Corporate Legal Accountability Updates & Briefings

Governing Business & Human Rights

Effective regulations are essential to drive corporate accountability for human rights abuses. This section draws together regulatory approaches from around the world, with a focus on UN instruments.

UN Binding Treaty

In June 2014, the UN Human Rights Council took steps to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises. Read about the latest developments and follow our debate series.

UN Guiding Principles

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are a set of guidelines for States and companies to prevent, address and remedy human rights abuses committed in business operations.

Mandatory due diligence

The growing worldwide movement to legally require companies to undertake human rights and environmental due diligence.

Global spotlight

Putting the spotlight on urgent and emergent issues for the business and human rights movement.

Israel's war on Gaza

While the international community has immense responsibility to bring the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza to an end, secure the release of hostages and end occupation, business also has an immediate responsibility to ensure it is not contributing to the horrific killings of Palestinians in Gaza or exacerbating human suffering across the region.

Russian military aggression in Ukraine

The Russian military aggression against Ukraine puts a spotlight on businesses operating in the region and their human rights responsibilities. Civil society calls upon companies to conduct heightened human rights due diligence, while some businesses including financial institutions, tech platforms, oil and gas majors are taking steps towards a responsible exit from the Russian market.