What part should business play in championing human rights? What fresh challenges does the digital economy bring?
The theme of this year's
While human rights are fundamental to every individual and do not change, the societal context does not stand still. Therefore, we must be vigilant and address new realities effectively to ensure the protection of human rights and to advocate for the next generation of rights such as those linked to the changes, for example, that technology and the digital economy bring.
My role in developing
Here are four areas where we can all innovate to ensure that human rights remain strong for this generation and the next.
1. Have a business strategy with human rights at its core
In the 1990s, the American political strategist
When we talk about human rights, we often address the symptoms, not the cause.
This is the reason why we have
And it changes to reflect business change. For example, we are currently ensuring that the human rights and labour conditions of workers are built into the new models we're developing to support a new plastics economy. Or we're tackling the emergence of borderless workforces by putting responsible recruitment policies in place.
2. Take a stand with policy-makers
Companies are not legislative entities but we can - and must - lend our voice for human rights stewardship and the advancement of sustainability.
Participation and collaboration are key to innovating policy and we have worked hard to embed this in our own strategy and culture.
On the world stage, that has seen us take an active stand in the support of the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.
On a company-wide scale, it has seen us work to address our own salient human rights issues in our 2017 Human Rights Report.
At a brand level, it has seen
3. Develop new human rights that address new challenges
Business prides itself on its ability to innovate. It is therefore the shared responsibility of new and established businesses to innovate to address the fresh issues societies face. Current frameworks are outdated and ineffective in the 'millisecond' world.
Technological advances have prompted the need for a new generation of rights to address discrimination through algorithms and their impact on freedom of speech and thought; to address potential discrimination between humans and machines; and to protect privacy in a world of radical unparallelled transparency.
New tech-first business models need to embed fundamental rights in their DNA. Instead of viewing themselves as simply a tech 'platform', they should work to incorporate fair wages and working conditions into the gig economy model from the get-go.
And in another very different case, a year or more ago, the
Policy-makers protected nature with a new set of rights - how could businesses or individuals support such a move?
The most important stakeholder in helping businesses promote human rights is you - our consumers. With every purchase you are enabling business practices that make an impact.
4. Beyond business: investors and consumers have a part to play
We need collective action and a transformation of markets to reward long-term value. In his letter to shareholders this year,
The good news for investors is there is a link between purpose and profit. Our Unilever brands with purpose have outperformed other brands - not only financially, but also on positive social impact.
But the most important stakeholder in helping business promote human rights is you - our consumers.
With every purchase you are enabling business practices that make an impact. With every choice you make you are playing your part in driving financial investment and the markets. With every purchase you make, you are voting for what matters to you.
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