This section features guidance on how companies and governments should implement the UN Guiding Principles. Under the UNGPs, companies should: express their commitment to respect human rights through a policy statement; conduct human rights due diligence; and remediate negative impacts they have caused or contributed to.
One of the key concepts set out in the UNGPs as part of companies' responsibility to respect human rights, and covered in many of the materials below, is human rights due diligence: “An ongoing risk management process… in order to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how [a company] addresses its adverse human rights impacts. It includes four key steps: assessing actual and potential human rights impacts; integrating and acting on the findings; tracking responses; and communicating about how impacts are addressed" (UNGP Reporting Framework). Due diligence is a comprehensive process that goes beyond social auditing; this portal features resources and examples on HRDD.
Official Guidance
Interpretive Guide
The corporate responsibility to respect human rights: An interpretive guide by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
An Introduction
The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: An Introduction by the UN Working Group on Business & Human Rights
Other key guidance for companies
Business, human rights and conflict-affected regions
The UN Working Group outlines measures for govts. and businesses to tackle business-related human rights abuse in conflict-affected regions
UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework
Comprehensive guide on company reporting in line with the UN Guiding Principles from Shift
Investor Toolkit on Human Rights
Comprehensive guide on making and managing investments in alignment with the UN Guiding Principles
Doing business with respect for human rights
Practical advice, experiences and insights to help companies respect human rights
GBI Business Practice Portal
Guidance, tools, and examples of business practice and lessons learned from the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights (GBI) and its members
Access to remedy in cases of business-related human rights abuse
Interpretative guide issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Further Reading
Salient human rights issues
The concept of salient human rights issues is key to implementation of the UNGPs and human rights due diligence. This video by Shift and Mike Babb provides a short introduction.
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