Companies have an internationally recognized responsibility to respect human rights and to develop a suitable training program to ensure that employees are equipped to help reduce the risk of human rights harm. Nearly all companies have existing training on anti-bribery and anticorruption. But human rights training encompasses a broader employee group and a broader scope of responsibility, presenting a uniquely challenging training environment. This Good Practice Note highlights different approaches for designing effective human rights training programs and identify challenges that can be avoided with proper planning.

Showcases industry-specific examples and ideas for corporate action related to the SDGs. Presented in a series of publications, each matrix will highlight bold pursuits and decisions made by diverse companies for each SDG.

Summary of the 2016 LEAD Symposium which convened LEAD companies, plus a hand-picked group of exponential thought leaders, and next generation innovators and entrepreneurs. Held at the historic Cambridge Union, participants explored new and more ambitious pathways for the scale and pace of radical innovation and market transformation required to achieve the future we need.

Assesses the contribution of business-focused initiatives of the Global Climate Action Agenda to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By providing this analysis, the report seeks to catalyze business action on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and demonstrate the potential collective impact of the assessed initiatives on emissions.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a blueprint for significantly changing the world by 2030, and the Investor Relations community can play a key role in turning these aspirational goals into reality. Reports show the level of investment needed to achieve the SDGs is approximately $5 to $7 trillion globally per year from 2015 to 2030, and investor relations can be a driving force behind the incorporation of strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices into business strategies and operations. On this episode of Business of Tomorrow, we interview three experts on the obstacles and opportunities of engaging the investment community in achieving long-term, sustainable capital markets and the importance of investor relations leadership for the SDGs. You can listen to this episode below or search for United Nations Global Compact/Business of Tomorrow on your smartphone podcast app.

Aimed at mobilizing the private sector to become a catalyst for enhancing and deepening country-level action to meet the ambitions set out by the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Building on the decade’s work of Caring for Climate, the platform will provide companies the opportunity to make progress on scaling responsible climate action that contributes to the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national SDG plans. Practically, the platform seeks to provide a safe space for companies to review, re-align, and recalibrate their corporate goals, strategies, and public policy efforts to inform and ramp up climate ambition into the development plans of governments.

Urges Governments to implement the State Duty to protect human rights. It was drafted by the leading business associations involved in the business and human rights.

Companies have an internationally recognized responsibility to respect human rights and to develop a suitable training program to ensure employees are equipped to reduce the risk of human rights harm. Nearly all companies have existing training on anti-bribery and anticorruption, however human rights training encompasses a broader employee group as well as a broader scope of responsibility, presenting a uniquely challenging training environment. This webinar, co-hosted by the UN Global Compact and BSR, presents practical guidance on developing human rights training relevant to all companies. It highlights good practices from emerging training programs and identifies challenges that can be avoided with proper planning. The webinar coincides with the release of the “Good Practice Note on Designing Effective Human Rights Training Aligned with the Corporate Responsibility to Respect in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” prepared for the UN Global Compact Human Rights and Labour Working Group.

While data shows closing the gender gap would increase the GDP of countries around the world and advance sustainable development globally, there are still significant legal barriers to women's economic empowerment. To realistically achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, governments are encouraged to remove legal barriers restricting women’s participation in the global economy and to unlock the full potential of women and girls around the world. This webinar introduces the findings of the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2016 report which found that approximately 90% of 173 countries have at least one legal barrier restricting economic opportunities for women. The discussion highlights the business opportunity and imperative to promote good governance and the equal rights of women and men required to create an enabling environment for inclusive and sustainable business growth.

Aims to offer companies a ‘must-read’ foundational guide on how to implement respect for human rights in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights. This guide goes beyond the theoretical explanation of the Guiding Principles and explores them in practice through the real-life experiences of companies and their stakeholders in diverse and complex situations. This publication is the product of a multi-year collaboration between companies, civil society and issue experts.

Explores how businesses can responsibly manage the human rights impacts of their own water-intensive operations and/or supply chains. In particular, the webinar examines the specific challenges around potential human rights impacts on communities that have inadequate water supplies or that are located in water-stressed areas. As well as analysing how responsible companies can best respect international standards around the right to water and sanitation, the webinar also explores related corporate projects in this area – as well as their outcomes.

Highlights the linkages between human rights and anti-corruption compliance and how companies can benefit from integrating these considerations in their compliance programs. Adverse human rights impacts and corruption pose similar risks to companies, including the danger of reputational and financial exposure. Effectively managing these risks presents companies with common challenges such as detecting misconduct in the business organization and supply chains, and necessitates due diligence on business partners such as contracted agents and suppliers. Indeed successful implementation of human rights and anti-corruption compliance can contribute to corporate sustainability and profitability.