IFC Leads Development of a Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management (HRIA)
Human rights have traditionally been the sole responsibility of government, but increasingly businesses are expected to play a key role in upholding human rights and to carry out their operations in a socially responsible manner. However, most companies lack technical skills in the area of human rights impact assessment. In response to this need, IFC and the International Business Leader's Forum (IBLF), in close collaboration with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), developed the Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management (HRIA).
IFC's approach to sustainability is rooted in a business case that includes both risk management and market based opportunities. On the risk management side, IFC is addressing various Human Rights concerns through its recently launched Performance Standards, including those dealing with the process of establishing a grievance mechanism, core labor standards and indigenous people's rights. The Human Rights Impact Assessment presented by IFC in partnership with IBLF represents an additional tool for IFC clients and the wider private sector to look at human rights concerns and at how to address them.
The guide is a work in progress. This current draft version has been published to allow companies from different business sectors to test it in practice and for various stakeholders to comment. The experience gained from the road-testing will be used to further refine the guide. A revised version of the guide will be published by mid-2009.
For further information and to receive guidelines for the commenting and road-testing, please contact Caroline Ersmarker at the International Business Leaders Forum: caroline.ersmarker@iblf.org.