"Addressing Adverse Human Rights Impacts Connected to Product Misuse", 31 May 2017

The Guiding Principles make clear that the responsibility to respect human rights “exists independently of States’ abilities and/or willingness to fulfill their own human rights obligations […] and above compliance with national laws and regulations protecting human rights.”...This Good Practice Note (“Note”) seeks to explore the human rights responsibilities, the practical implications, as well as the common challenges and pitfalls faced by business when addressing adverse human rights impacts connected to product misuse. The Note also highlights how some companies are currently engaging in good practice to address adverse human rights impacts connected to product misuse…Finally, this Note finds that business must increasingly recognize product misuse as a human rights issue if it seeks to adequately address and combat this challenge on a global scale...