...So far, the human rights focus of most businesses has been on risk mitigation. And rightly so – the work involved in mapping diverse supply chains, implementing reporting mechanisms and conducting on-the-ground assessments is significant. But increasingly, we see businesses not only focused on how not to be laggards, but on how to be leaders. Some companies excluded from the pilot Corporate Human Rights Benchmark requested to be assessed in the next version, as a way to test their performance against their competitors. Companies are using their Modern Slavery Act statements as an opportunity to launch innovative new approaches to tackling human rights abuses...To take the next step on human rights, businesses must look for opportunities not only to mitigate negative impacts, but create positive ones. Marks & Spencer may be the first company to have mapped its salient human rights issues against the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Meanwhile, the Co-op is providing employment opportunities to survivors of modern slavery, and Starbucks and Chobani are hiring refugees...