Respect for Human Rights
Respect for human rights lies at the intersection of the three pillars of sustainable development: social, environmental, and economic. Businesses, in the course of their operations, must act in accordance with human rights. This requires a due diligence process. This obligation is established by several international texts that reinforce the recommendations of the international standards (The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights - UNGPs).
The French law of March 27, 2017, on the duty of vigilance regarding human rights and the environment is a world first. It specifies that companies above a certain size must have analyzed, categorized, and prioritized their human rights risks. Based on these risks, they must establish associated action plans, ensure their effective implementation, and publish their due diligence plan as well as their implementation and monitoring reports. Other countries and the EU have since then put in place their own obligations.
The UNGPs (United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights), 31 guiding principles unanimously adopted in 2011 by the UN, provide a good framework for meeting these obligations.
Business and Human Rights
From dilemma to arbitrations and practical solutions
While the texts are clear, their implementation is less so. In practice, companies regularly face difficult choices and necessary arbitrations on the ground. We will guide you through this process to provide a clear, practical plan that addresses the dual requirements of compliance and economically viable solutions.
Knowing & Acting has developed a holistic approach that is the result of the long and rich experience of Nathalie Komatitsch, founder of Knowing & Acting. For several years, she implemented and put into practice respect for human rights in a large international company highly exposed to human rights risks, operating in more than 130 countries, 90 of which are considered to have extreme or very high human rights risks. Using her own knowledge and experience, together with associates with specialist expertise, every aspect of your journey will be managed to achieve maximum impact.
Knowing & Acting: Human Rights Services
Knowing & Acting offers businesses and the international organizations that support them a full range of services to assist in their efforts to respect human rights.
Knowing & Acting provides a comprehensive range of solutions, tailored to the size and maturity of each organization.
The Knowing & Acting approach is based on international standards, with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, related covenants, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) serving as key references.
Human rights and business: what does it mean to you?
We all know how to define or list certain human rights. We often refer to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN and its 30 articles. Some people have in mind a much older, French reference: the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789. But for a company, what are we talking about, and what is the frame of reference?
Examples of services available from Knowing & Acting
Human rights commitments:
defining and drafting human rights policies, preparing human rights reports in accordance with the UNGPs;
Human Rights Due Diligence:
initial assessment, risk analysis, human rights impact assessments (HRIA), related action plans, monitoring of the effective implementation of action plans, etc.;
Mitigation of your human rights risks and deploying your human rights commitments within the company:
training on respecting human rights (e-learning, in-person, depending on the level of exposure to human rights risks.);
Transparency regarding your human rights commitments and actions:
drafting human rights reports in accordance with the UNGPs, duty of vigilance plans, in collaboration with the company's legal department;
Human rights crisis management:
dialogue, stakeholders' relations, and activation of a network of trusted experts.
Executive summaries, concept notes and reports for management and policymakers.
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Do you need support in defining and implementing your human rights strategy?
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