10 December is Human Rights Day - which marks the date that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established universal values and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. The theme for 2019 is 'youth standing up for human rights' which celebrates the potential of youth as constructive agents of change.
Ipieca members recognise that respect for human rights is a core expectation of business; this responsibility was established by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in 2011. Therefore, through Ipieca, our members work together to improve the overall industry's human rights performance through the development of practical guidance and tools to operationalise the UNGPs, facilitate the sharing of good practices, and engage with stakeholders to deepen their understanding of external expectations. For an overview of Ipieca's work on human rights, please click here.
Key highlights from 2019 include:
- Launch of series of practical guidance and tools on Company and supply chain labour rights,including on Responsible recruitment and employment, Labour rights assessments and Worker grievance mechanisms.
- Working to update our 2012 guidance on human rights due diligence, to be launched in 2020.
- Ongoing webinars including a series on remedy in relation to labour rights (members only) and gender responsive implementation of extractives projects.
- Contribution to key events such as the UN Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights.
- Continued engagement with key stakeholders such as the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights and Building Responsibly.
