Human Rights: A Call to Action on Reporting

(New York, 23 September 2008) - The United Nations Global Compact, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative and the Global Reporting Initiative are marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights by calling on companies to make a commitment to improve at least one aspect of their human rights reporting. The invitation to companies is central to the three organizations’ new collaborative project: “Human rights – A Call to Action” which aims to foster greater integration of human rights principles into corporate sustainability reporting. Ultimately, the project aims to significantly improve companies’ understanding of how and why to publicly disclose policies and practice relating to human rights.

Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Global Compact Board member and President of Realizing Rights said: “The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration during 2008 presents a key opportunity for the many companies who still haven’t thought seriously about the role of human rights in their business operations to do so, including by making human rights an integral part of their public reporting on sustainability issues.”

Find out more about the project and join the Call to Action here (http://www.globalreporting.org/humanrights).

Contact

Oliver Johner
COP Analyst
UN Global Compact Office
johner@un.org

Media Contact

Matthias Stausberg
Spokesman
UN Global Compact Office
stausberg@un.org