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Our membership

GBI is made up of a committed group of respected multinational corporations with operations in diverse industries and regions. GBI members are working to embed respect for human rights in their business and operations. 

As major multinationals, GBI’s members are well-placed to drive positive standards, policy and practice within their industries. Individually and collectively, they can positively impact the day-to-day realities of hundreds of millions of people and contribute to sustainable development in thousands of communities and to economies around the world.

Membership benefits

  • Guidance from leaders: Insight and practical advice from a unique group of industry leaders about human rights strategy, processes and tactics to systematically address risks and dilemmas.
  • Roadtesting ideas for improvement: Opportunity to test existing and emerging policy, practice and approaches through peer learning and benchmarking with other global companies.
  • Helping to shape policy and practice: Due to GBI’s relationships with thought-leaders and standard setters, members are well placed to influence debate on emerging trends and expectations.
  • Profiling and positioning: Increased opportunities to profile company human rights practice with inputs from diverse stakeholders.
  • Issue-specific advice: Ongoing access to conversation partners and guidance from the expert GBI team and advisors.

Reflections on the value of GBI’s peer learning programme

“GBI is consistently the best practice-sharing, peer learning program I’m part of. The quality of both the leaders of the program and the participants is such that, when you walk in and start a dialogue on a particular issue, you’re starting at a level where whatever you’re discussing is something you can immediately use back at your worksite and within your program.”
Paul Lalli, Global Counsel – Labor and Human Rights, GE
“GBI brings together the best and brightest minds in the world of business and human rights around one trusting table. The level of trust makes GBI not only a source of knowledge and best practice, but most importantly a generator of empowerment. Coming to GBI and learning from each other really helps bring a genuine conversation about opportunities, challenges and real, tangible solutions, not just a generic reiteration of the UNGPs – we all know them by heart – but through GBI we focus on how to bring them to life in a way that is practical and successful.”
Caroline Meledo, Corporate Responsibility Manager, EMEA, Hilton
“For Vale, the importance of GBI is very significant. We’ve been a member since 2012, and it’s been an extremely positive experience to engage with other companies and learn from different experiences and sectors.”
Liesel Filgueiras, General Manager Human Rights, Indigenous Communities, Vale Volunteer Program and International Community Relations, Vale
“GBI is one of our principal engagements in the human rights area. The uniqueness of GBI’s peer learning is the depth to which we go in our meetings. In GBI meetings we’re constantly striving to understand how did members accomplish what they did and, very importantly, what were the pitfalls and issues along the way. You don’t see many networks where the members can be so open and so candid about what were the problems they confronted, what were the failures that they suffered – and those are oftentimes more valuable from a learning standpoint than the successes.”
Bruce Klafter, Vice-President, Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility, Flex

Membership commitments

  • Companies commit to the vison and spirit of GBI: Companies contribute to the success of the whole GBI community of practice, including achieving jointly identified outcomes, and reinforcing a culture of sharing in an atmosphere of mutual trust.
  • Investment in regular member meetings: Detailed and proactive preparation and participation in bi-annual peer learning meetings, including being open about strategy, progress, shortfalls and challenges.
  • Applying learning: Taking insights and outcomes from GBI engagements and applying them within the company and beyond.
  • Strengthening GBI strategy and focus: Working with other members to create strategic priorities, learning focus areas and opportunities for engagement with outside stakeholders.

Invitation to engage

Explore membership

Please contact us to explore the possibility of your company becoming a member of GBI. This can include the option of being a guest at a GBI peer learning meeting. The GBI team and existing members will be happy to discuss the benefits of joining our practitioner community. You can also download further information here. 

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Connect with GBI

GBI members welcome contact with other companies and organisations on current policy and practice developments. They frequently collaborate with other stakeholders at events, in reports, and major international meetings to profile how business is working to respect human rights. If you wish to explore opportunities, let us know.

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