The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is committed to upholding human rights and exposing and addressing abuse created by power and wealth inequalities. Those inequalities are on full display in the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police, which we mourn and condemn, and which follow a long history of Black people and people of color disproportionately harmed by violent and racist policing in the United States. We acknowledge that the same conditions of injustice and inequality have driven the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black Americans. We honor the leadership of Black organizers and activists fighting for more just and equitable systems. And we stand in solidarity with Black Americans and protesters in the US and all over the world in the fight for racial justice.  

In our work we recognize how business can entrench and exacerbate these historical injustices through policies and business models which are dependent on, and profit from, these unequal and unjust systems. We acknowledge the statements of support and solidarity by companies condemning racism and urge these companies to follow through with long-term, concrete commitments to eliminate discrimination and abuse in their business. This includes ceasing practices that exploit and dehumanize workers and communities and fulfilling their responsibility to respect human rights throughout their operations, supply chains, and business relationships. We reaffirm our commitment to use our platform and resources to amplify the work of Black activists and groups pushing for corporate accountability and to bring attention to the role and impact of businesses on Black communities and others that are systematically marginalized.