Will France’s new Duty of Vigilance law push companies to improve their reporting on human rights?

15 May 2018 — With the arrival of the French Duty of Vigilance legislation that requires more stringent reporting by companies on their non-financial impacts, Shift examines the extent to which the public disclosure of impacts on human rights by the largest listed French companies are in line with the expectations of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. | Go to the commentary

Understanding and Managing Human Rights Risks Is a Key Element of Integrated Thinking

1 November 2017 — Richard Karmel of Mazars UK explains why respect for human rights can no longer be a niche and unusual area of practice for internal audit and external assurance — and how the new UNGP Assurance Guidance can help companies better manage their human rights performance. | Go to the commentary

Mazars and Shift Urge Employers to Embed Respect for Human Rights Into Core Business Strategies as Corporate Governance Code Review is Announced in UK

16 October 2017 — As the  Corporate Governance Code review is laid out in the UK in November and UK Prime Minister Theresa May calls on the United Nations to back tough measures to end modern slavery, international accountancy and advisory firm Mazars and Shift, the leading centre of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles, have launched the UNGP Assurance Guidance, the follow-on to the UNGP Reporting Framework. | Go to the assurance guidance | See the press release

New Assurance Guidance Puts Human Rights at the Heart of Corporate Governance Debate

19 September 2017 — Mazars and Shift have launched comprehensive Assurance Guidance on human rights, for the first time giving businesses a clear direction on how to assess their human rights credentials in line with international standards. This subject matter guidance serves two purposes: one, to help internal auditors assure companies’ human rights performance, and two, to support external assurance providers’ assurance of companies’ human rights reporting. | Go to the assurance guidance | See the press release

Report: Failures in Governance and Lack of Appropriate Focus Still Common Amongst Largest Companies

10 May 2017 — The new report, authored by Shift with support from the UK Department for International Development, EY and Hermes Investment Management, assesses the maturity of human rights reporting of 74 global companies from seven sectors. | Learn more | See our complete analysis series on trends in corporate human rights reporting

Reporting Trends and Insights: Are Palm Oil Companies Leaders or Laggards in Reporting on Human Rights?

2 May 2017 — In the next article in our series, we examine the human rights disclosure of the world’s five largest palm oil companies. While these companies have mature reporting in terms of establishing the policy commitment, they have much work to do with regard to focusing their efforts on salient human rights issues, explaining how they are preventing and addressing them, and providing information about the extent to which those measures are working. Read more

Reporting Trends and Insights: Are Companies Taking a Principled Approach or Are They Cherry Picking?

12 April 2017 — In a continuation of our series, we find the majority of companies in the UNGP Reporting Database provide no explanation about which human rights are most relevant for their operations and value chains. This should leave any reader concerned that the company has no clear idea where its greatest potential impacts on people lie and therefore may well not be managing those risks. Read more

Reporting Framework now Available in French

23 March 2017 — With the generous support of entreprises pour les droits de l’homme – edh, a French language edition of the UNGP Reporting Framework is now available.

Reporting Framework Implementation Guidance now With Minor Updates

9 January 2017 — Following two years of application of the UNGP Reporting Framework, the team that developed the Framework has made minor updates to its implementation guidance to improve users’ understanding. The updated implementation guidance is available as web pages as well as in downloadable PDF format. | Learn more

Early Adopter ABN AMRO Publishes First Report Using Reporting Framework

21 December 2016 — Dutch bank and UNGP Reporting Framework early adopter ABN AMRO published today its first ever human rights report, which uses the Reporting Framework. | Jump to the report

Reporting Trends and Insights: Who’s Responsible and Accountable for Addressing Human Rights Risks Within the Company?

17 October 2016 — While the majority of companies in the UNGP Reporting Database report something on accountability structures for human rights, only 7 per cent of companies clearly explain day-to-day responsibility and accountability structures for managing human rights risks. In this article, the second in a series, UNGP Reporting Database manager Michelle Langlois analyzes trends in companies’ reporting as shown in the Reporting Database, and offers examples and tips for better policies. | Jump to the article

Tobacco Companies now in Reporting Database

14 September 2016 — The six largest tobacco companies in the world by the FT500 are now in the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Database. The companies include Altria Group, British America Tobacco, ITC, Japan Tobacco International, Philip Morris International and Reynolds American. | Jump to companies’ disclosure in the Database

Public Consultation on Reporting Framework’s Assurance Guidance

13 September 2016 — The public consultation period on the UNGP Reporting Framework’s assurance guidance is now open. The period runs until 31 October 2016. This consultation is now closed.

Reporting Trends and Insights: Are Companies Making the Commitment to Respect Human Rights?

30 August 2016 — While an increasing number of companies have a policy commitment to respect human rights, the quality of those commitments varies widely. In this article, the first in a series, UNGP Reporting Database manager Michelle Langlois analyzes trends in companies’ reporting as shown in the Reporting Database, and offers examples and tips for better policies. | Jump to the article

ICT Companies now in UNGP Reporting Database

21 June 2016 — The 10 largest information and communications technology (ICT) companies in the world by the FT500 are now in the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Database. The companies include Apple, AT&T, China Mobile, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Samsung Electronics, Tencent and Verizon Communications. Jump to companies’ disclosure in the Database

Q&A With Eurosif on Public Database of Corporate Reporting on Human Rights

31 May 2016 — In a new Q&A, Shift President Caroline Rees discusses with Eurosif, the leading pan-European sustainable and responsible investment membership organization, how the creation of the UNGP Reporting Database is helping increase understanding of how companies are embedding the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in their business. Go to Q&A

Four Early Adopter Companies Launch Reports Using UNGP Reporting Framework

18 April 2016 — In the last few weeks, four early adopter companies have published reports using the UNGP Reporting Framework. They include: Ericsson | H&M | Nestlé | Newmont

UNGP Reporting Database Launches

22 March 2016 — The UNGP Reporting Database shows companies’ own reporting on human rights, compared to expectations of the UN Guiding Principles. Go to news update | Go straight to Database

Which Corporate Bucket Is Going to Pay for Human Rights?

22 February 2016 — Richard Karmel, Partner at Mazars LLP, asks how companies can know if they are respecting human rights. Go to commentary

Translating ‘Human Rights Speak’ Into ‘Business Speak’

11 February 2016 — The Chair of the OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct, Prof. Roel Nieuwenkamp, discusses a valuable resource to help companies translate ‘human rights speak’ into ‘business speak’. Go to commentary

Language for Action: Translating the Reporting Framework into Polish to Improve Company Practice

21 September 2015 – Beata Faracik of the Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business reflects on how the Polish translation of the UNGP Reporting Framework will help Polish companies implement the UN Guiding Principles. Go to commentary

UNGP Reporting Framework Now Available in Polish

21 September 2015 – The UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework is now available in Polish, courtesy of the Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business. Go to story

Unilever Releases Human Rights Report Using UNGP Reporting Framework

30 June 2015 – Today Unilever published its first human rights report using the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework. Unilever is the first company to use the UNGP Reporting Framework comprehensively, following the company’s commitment to being the first adopter of the Reporting Framework in 2014. Go to story

First Bank Becomes Early Adopter of UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework

23 June 2015 – The first bank has committed to reporting on human rights using the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework. Dutch bank ABN AMRO is the sixth early adopter company to make this public commitment since the UNGP Reporting Framework launched in February 2015. Go to story

As Demands for Better Human Rights Reporting Grow Fast, Help Is at Hand

15 June 2015 – The UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework will help meet companies meet rising expectations for meaningful human rights reporting, say the chair of the OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct and the president of Shift. Go to commentary

Over 12,000 Views of Reporting Framework In First Two Months

28 May 2015 – A short two months after the launch of the Reporting Framework, we’re thrilled to see it catalyzing and accelerating conversations across companies, governments, investor groups and civil society organizations about how companies can demonstrate respect for human rights in practice. This update includes the latest news on how various stakeholders are using the Reporting Framework to drive implementation of the Guiding Principles. Go to update

Early Adopter Ericsson Releases Report Using UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework

14 April 2015 – Today early adopter company Ericsson released its Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report 2014, marking the first time the company has reported using the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework. Ericsson is the first early adopter company to issue a report using the Reporting Framework and is the first information and communications technology (ICT) company to use the Reporting Framework for its human rights disclosure. Go to story

$4 Trillion Investor Coalition Backs New Human Rights Reporting Tool

25 February 2015 — A group of over 60 investors from Europe, North America and Australia, with $3.9 trillion of assets under management, have today urged leading companies to use new guidance to help them “know and show” their management of human rights risks. In a joint statement the investors backed the new ‘UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework’, published this week, and said they aim to incentivize better corporate governance, management and reporting of human rights risks. Go to story

UNGP Reporting Framework: Generating Transformative Change

24 February 2015 – The author of the UN Guiding Principles, Prof. John Ruggie, reflects on the “transformative nature” of the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework. Go to commentary

First Comprehensive Guidance for Companies on Human Rights Reporting Launches in London

24 February 2015 — The first comprehensive guidance for companies to report on human rights issues in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) launches today in London. The guidance, the United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework, is the culmination of 18 months of research and consultation led by the leading centre of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Shift, and international accountancy firm Mazars. Go to press release