Blog and Article: In October 2014, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre published a blog written by the GBI secretariat entitled Five Early Recommendations for Business: Responding to the prospect of an international treaty on B&HR. The blog was written following an eventful 2014 summer at the United Nations, in which a process to draft an international treaty on Business and Human Rights was commenced. Momentum and visibility around the treaty process will incrementally pick up in the coming months. The blog and the longer article from which it was drawn offer some early reflections for companies considering how to navigate these developments. The UNGPs remain the authoritative international standard and will likely be the basis of any future international project. For companies not yet working actively to implement their responsibility to respect human rights the message is different – it’s time to start the journey.
FAQ (includes quick reference answers): To accompany the article, the GBI secretariat simultaneously published responses to some Frequently Asked Questions for the business community regarding two resolutions adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on 26 and 27 June 2014, one of which set in motion an intergovernmental process that could lead to a treaty on transnational corporations and human rights. Among other things, the responses address the process, procedures and potential scope of international treaty development in the business and human rights context.