"Leadership and being first aren’t the same things: An assessment of the UK National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights", Jun 2016

For those that retain faith in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (and we at Unicef UK are certainly amongst that number), that the UK Government has re-iterated its commitment to the Principles and the expectation that UK Plc should be undertaking human rights due diligence is entirely welcome. However, when it comes to substantive action to implement the Principles, the picture the Plan paints is rather less positive.Here are four areas where the Government falls frustratingly short: 1. Prioritisation and policy coherence...2. Public procurement... 3. Access to remedy...4. Silence on children...Overall...the updated Plan appears to reflect a move towards looking at the work that Government can fund on business and human rights, rather than matching this with a focus on its own day to day business...