Human Rights Archives

The Global Impact of War in Ukraine

Businesses responded to war in Ukraine by providing unprecedented support to people fleeing, but war is increasing food and energy prices, pushing families to the brink of survival elsewhere. Businesses must protect communities in their supply chains by preparing them to respond to disaster. In today’s globalised economy, this can benefit us all.

Conflict and Peace, Human Rights

June 1, 2022

Prioritising engaging with workers and other stakeholders for human rights

Ensuring corporate respect for human rights is fundamentally about people. To ensure that their actions to prevent and address human rights harm are effective, it is essential that companies engage with affected people and communities. Unfortunately, most companies are failing to undertake such stakeholder engagement.

Human Rights, Innovative Business Models, Partnerships

May 6, 2022

Race to the top: How we pushed supermarkets to take human rights seriously

From new gender policies to commitments on living wages, Oxfam have come a long way since they published its first supermarkets scorecard in 2018. Radhika Sarin explains what does the 2022 scorecard reveals and what more must be done.

Gender, Human Rights, Innovative Business Models

April 12, 2022

Six Actions Businesses Can Take To Reduce Negative Impacts of Purchasing Practices on Human Rights

As Human Rights Due Diligence becomes increasingly important for businesses, Oxfam’s Private Sector Human Rights Advisor, Monica Romis looks at how purchasing practices have direct implications on the human rights of workers, sharing some of Oxfam’s research and highlighting concrete steps business can take for a more equitable sharing of rights and responsibilities through the supply chain.

Global Goals, Governance and Transparency, Human Rights, Innovative Business Models

September 21, 2021

Examples from the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark COVID-19 study: How some companies are responding to the crisis in a meaningful way

The World Benchmarking Alliance’s COVID-19 and human rights study shows companies still have a long way to go when it comes to adequately managing the human rights risks and impacts of the global pandemic. However, there are positive examples of businesses prioritising the rights of their workers.

Global Goals, Health, Human Rights

May 4, 2021

VIDEO: How can companies integrate human rights into their business purposes and strategies

Members of the Business Fights Poverty share their insights through a series of “how-to” videos on the themes of Business Fights Poverty NYC Online 2020. This session aims to help business professionals understand the opportunities of a human rights approach and perspective for building business resilience,

Fostering Leadership, Human Rights

September 23, 2020

VIDEO: What is the place of human rights in the business environment?

Members of the Business Fights Poverty share their insights through a series of “how-to” videos and seminars on the themes of Business Fights Poverty Online 2020. Professor Michael K. Addo, Director of the London Law Program at the University of Notre Dame explores the place of human rights in the business environment and the latest thinking on this topic.

Human Rights

July 16, 2020

Three Promises Lidl Has Made to Protect its Food Workers

Supermarkets have become one of the few vital services still functioning during the global Coronavirus pandemic. Supermarket staff deserve great respect for keeping customers safe and supplied with food to sustain us through this unprecedented crisis.

Gender, Human Rights, Innovative Business Models, Living Wages

April 29, 2020

Covid-19: ‘We Won’t Get Back to Normal Because Normal was the Problem’

Discussions about the world that will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic have already started apace. Many commentators are wondering whether the crisis offers the opportunity to set the world on a more sustainable and equal path. The Covid-19 recovery offers an opportunity to create a different type of ‘normal’ – one that can help restore trust in the state and reaffirm crucial economic and social rights.

Climate & Environment, Climate Justice, Human Rights

April 14, 2020

Managing Human Rights Risks: Embracing a More Robust Approach to Human Rights Risks in Supply Chains

Oxfam will lead a panel at Business Fights Poverty Oxford 2019 on its supermarket campaign, Behind the Barcodes, giving a platform to two influential supermarkets as well as perspectives from consumers, investors and a multi-stakeholder initiative on ethical trade. The top six UK supermarkets have already responded to the campaign. As more consumers and investors show their concern about these issues, more rapid progress will be made.

Human Rights, Innovative Business Models

July 8, 2019

Applying Technology to Help Eradicate Recruitment-Fee Debt Bondage in Global Supply Chains

A discussion paper on how technology can help to create closer, two-way connections between a company and the workers in its supply chain, which may in turn reveal hidden, illicit practices that contribute to modern slavery. With Nestle and WBCSD.

Human Rights, Technology

July 1, 2019

Winners of Stop Slavery Award at International Human Rights Forum announced

Unilever and Standard Chartered PLC, both Business Fights Poverty Business Leaders Group members, have received awards at the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s annual human rights forum, Trust Conference.

Governance and Transparency, Human Rights

November 16, 2018

What More Should Supermarkets do to Respect Workers’ Rights in their Supply Chain?

Recently Oxfam has been calling on supermarkets to end the human suffering in their supply chains for the Behind the Barcodes campaign. Here Rachel Wilshaw goes into more detail on the practical actions supermarkets can take and why it’s so important.

Human Rights

October 12, 2018

Advocating Together for the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

International Alert, a peacebuilding organisation with over 30 years’ experience, and Anglo American, one of the world’s leading mining companies, share how they are working together to advocate for more respect for human rights and greater understanding of conflict-sensitivity within the extractive sector.

Human Rights, Partnerships

May 23, 2018

Communities First: Top Human Rights Priorities for Extractives Companies

The extractives industry has had a long and complicated relationship with human rights. With the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, these issues are once again making headlines around the globe. BSR highlights the most salient human rights challenges for the extractives industry today.