Businesses are important to communities. They can provide investment, jobs and much needed services. But business does not always benefit people. Sometimes businesses harm people, communities and the environment.

If a business harms your human rights, there are options for you to enforce your rights. You could take a case to court or try to negotiate a resolution to find a solution.

There are difficulties in obtaining a remedy for business human rights abuses.

• In many countries, businesses don’t have a general legal duty not to harm human rights and there may be no national law you can rely on to challenge the harmful activities;
• The business may be based in a different country meaning you may need to ask a foreign court or organisation to look into your case; and
• There may be financial and personal risks in challenging powerful corporate and government actors.

But there are ways to overcome these barriers and hold businesses accountable if they abuse your human rights, take your land or pollute your environment.

This Guide outlines tools and mechanisms you can use to seek a remedy for corporate human rights abuses and to protect your human rights if they are threatened or harmed by business activity...