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Article

8 Dec 2005

Author:
Peter D Sutherland, Chairman of BP & Goldman Sachs International

[DOC] Speech by Peter D Sutherland KCMG, Chairman of BP & Goldman Sachs International - at the 2005 Business and Human Rights Seminar

The challenge which is pre-occupying many people at the moment is that of codifying or formalising the relationship of business to the UN Declaration of Human Rights. This is now being taken forward by Kofi Annan’s Special Representative John Ruggie. It’s a complex challenge but John has a great track record in seeing through the Global Compact and the Millennium Development Goals and I wish him well. I can assure him that I will use such influence as I have to make the project a success! One theme of this debate is what is sometimes seen as a dichotomy or a choice between mandatory and voluntary approaches. In my view this is not an either-or situation. The world has mandatory laws and regulations. It also has voluntary codes and standards. They co-exist – and rightly so. But they perform different roles. Mandatory approaches focus on setting minimum standards, while voluntary codes focus on raising the bar. Progressive businesses fully support mandatory approaches - provided they are reasonable and not anti-competitive - because they create a level playing field and prevent abuses. Indeed, in many cases there is more work to do in setting mandatory standards at national levels, let alone internationally. At international level, the issues with mandatory approaches are the challenges of gaining agreement and the difficulty of establishing effective systems for monitoring and - above all - enforcement. [refers to BP Tangguh natural gas project in West Papua]