Global Business and Human Rights | Global Business & Human Rights

Blog December 10, 2018

UDHR at 70: Taking Stock of Human Rights Today

As we mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights today, some might say that we have little to celebrate. The significant human rights gains of the early post-Cold War years appear to be coming undone as authoritarian populists take hold in countries that once seemed firmly in the democratic fold. For all of our solemn promises to “never again” permit the perpetration of genocide and crimes against humanity…

Blog November 04, 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance: Practical Approaches to Integration

This is the final post in a series of posts reflecting excerpts from a chapter that I authored on corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) for the Corporate Legal Compliance Handbook. In order to integrate concrete CSR commitments into corporate compliance programs, a company must establish how each commitment translates into performance requirements for the relevant business units and departments. The nature of these requirements may differ considerably depending on a companys industry and……

Blog October 20, 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance: Adopting a Principles-Based Approach to Performance

This is the seventh in a series of posts reflecting excerpts from a chapter that I authored on corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) for the Corporate Legal Compliance Handbook. CSR places concrete performance goals in an aspirational context: it can infuse corporate compliance requirements with a level of intrinsic motivation whereby company employees share a collective sense that the company is trying to improve its performance and act in a responsible manner…

Blog October 06, 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance: Spotting Trends and Preparing for Future Requirements

This is the sixth in a series of posts reflecting excerpts from a chapter that I authored on corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) for the Corporate Legal Compliance Handbook. Just as integrating CSR and compliance can strengthen a companys capacity to improve its environmental, social, and governance performance, so can CSR strengthen a companys overall compliance efforts. In the context of CSR…

Blog September 13, 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance: How Compliance Can Strengthen CSR

This is the fourth in a series of posts reflecting excerpts from a chapter that I authored on corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) for the Corporate Legal Compliance Handbook. In weighing the costs and benefits of considering the integration of a companys CSR commitments into existing compliance programs, it is important to recognize that this integration may strengthen the companys capacity in both areas…

Blog August 31, 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance: Obstacles to Effective Integration

This is the third in a series of posts reflecting excerpts from a chapter that I authored on corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) for the Corporate Legal Compliance Handbook. For some companies, integrating CSR commitments into the companys overall compliance program may represent a significant shift. Corporate managers may view CSR as a set of programmatic commitments that are removed from the core business strategies of the company and there may be internal reluctance to integrate……

Blog August 18, 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance: Building Capacity to Respond to Stakeholder Demands

This is the second in a series of posts reflecting excerpts from a chapter that I authored on corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) for the Corporate Legal Compliance Handbook. CSR is dynamic: it is responsive to standards, expectations, and contexts that are ever-shifting. To be effective, CSR requires a comprehensive approach to both standard-setting and engagement with internal and external stakeholders…

Blog June 16, 2016

U.N. Guiding Principles: Reflections on the Past Five Years

This post was originally published on The Huffington Post. Five years ago today, on June 16, 2011, the way we view the human rights responsibilities of companies changed. On that day, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (the “Guiding Principles”). This endorsement could have gone unnoticed except by those in the room at the time…

Blog April 28, 2016

Managing Risk: Integrating CSR and Compliance Functions Effectively

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important component of overall enterprise risk management for many companies. That said, too often, corporate implementation of CSR commitments is reliant upon diverse functions and systems that may not be all that well coordinated with one another and may utilize a range of different oversight and accountability mechanisms. Too often, assurance of corporate adherence to voluntary standards may not be well documented…

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Blog Editors

Gare Smith

Partner

Washington, DC

+1.202.261.7370

gsmith@foleyhoag.com

Isa Mirza

Senior Advisor

Washington, DC

+1.202.261.7379

imirza@foleyhoag.com

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Foley Hoag’s Global Business and Human Rights practice provides counsel to multinational companies, governments, and multilateral institutions regarding social, political, and environmental challenges.

Our advice to clients encompasses legal and reputational risk management with respect to human rights, including labor rights and the rights of indigenous peoples; the design and implementation of stakeholder engagement programs; and professional auditing services, ranging from due diligence desk-top analyses to on-the-ground human rights impact assessments and the monitoring of social, human rights, and environmental initiatives.

In addition, we provide clients with crisis management and mediation services with respect to disputes with impacted communities and stakeholder groups, ranging from indigenous peoples to non-governmental organizations.