What We Do

Business and Human Rights

The business case for human rights has become an important part of the human development dialogue. The pressure to address human rights issues at a business level is real for IFC clients and partners in capital markets.

In collaboration with international experts and specialized organizations, IFC is developing practical instruments to help companies:

• assess human rights risks related to their operations
• prevent and address any human rights infringements
• integrate this dimension into their management systems

IFC has focused its approach on practical dialogue and tools aimed at making sense of the debate in the emerging market context. These include:

• a Draft Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management (HRIA) released by IFC and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) in June 2007
• a consultation draft of the research paper "Stabilization Clauses and Human Rights" [PDF] released jointly by IFC and Professor John Ruggie in March 2008
• regional consultations for the creation of a Business and Human Rights Institute to reinforce the global network of expertise in this field