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Article

28 Jan 2016

Author:
Lisa Manley & Judy Sandford, Cone Communications on CSRWire

Businesses are increasingly shaping their policies to address human rights

"From Expectation to Business Imperative: A New Age of Corporate Communications on Human Rights", 13 Jan 2016

...[A]n increasing number of companies are beginning to shape policies, approaches and even communications, to address the human rights issues that are important to their employees, other stakeholders and the sustainability of their business…[W]hy should companies focus on communicating about human rights?  A driving force in corporate transparency has been increased coverage of human rights abuses in the media…[T]ragedies have prompted new regulations, heightened stakeholder interest and a rejuvenated focus on reporting standards…As the conversation around human rights has increased, so has the complexity and variety of human rights issues entering the public dialogue… For much of 2015, conversations have escalated on human rights and wages…Also gaining traction is the framing of “digital privacy” as a human and civil rights issue…Another trending human rights issue is conflict minerals, with manufacturers being put under the microscope due to conflict minerals’ ties to militias wreaking human rights havoc…The recent climate talks in Paris highlighted the links between climate change and human rights…By taking human rights seriously and talking about them transparently, companies will contribute to a better future for their business and society.