Table of Contents: Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change

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Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change

Table of Contents

Christopher L. Avery, updated version, November 1999

Due to the report's length, each chapter is linked separately, with the endnotes as the final links. Each endnote is hyperlinked in the text.

For details on ordering a paper copy of this report (published in February 2000 by Amnesty International UK), click here.

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Contents:

Introduction

1. Changes in business thinking

1.1   Re-examining the fundamental purposes of business
1.2   Challenging traditional business thinking about human rights
1.3   Corporate reputation: A valuable asset
1.4   Human rights are good for business
1.5   The employee factor

2. Society calls on business to act

2.1   Silence and inaction: No longer tenable options
2.2   A more sceptical and demanding public
2.3   The informed consumer
2.4   Intergovernmental organisations
2.5   Governments
2.6   Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
2.7   Non-governmental organisations and companies begin engaging
2.8   Selective purchasing laws
2.9   Lawsuits against companies
2.10 Petitions to revoke corporate charters
2.11 Shareholder resolutions and annual meetings
2.12 Socially-responsible investment
2.13 Monitors take advantage of the communications revolution
2.14 A need for more attention to the private sector’s responsibility to promote human rights

3. Steps towards change

3.1   Business groups putting human rights on their agenda
3.2   Companies adopting human rights principles
3.3   Human rights training for employees
3.4   Independent monitoring
3.5   Companies working in partnership with the United Nations and World Bank

4. A slow response to the new realities

5. A case in point: Nike

5.1   Stage 1: Deny allegations, attack critics
5.2   Stage 2: Half-measures
5.3   Stage 3: Announcing change
5.4   Stage 4: Steps towards implementing change; more remains to be done

6. A dialogue with business

6.1   Universality of human rights versus cultural relativism
6.2   Business’ responsibility to promote human rights
6.3   Economic, social and cultural rights
6.4   Lawsuits
6.5   Diverse levels of human rights awareness and attitudes
6.6   Business managers working overseas want human rights guidelines
6.7   Country-specific human rights recommendations
6.8   Difficult issues for business

7. Companies in the developing world: Projects promoting human rights

7.1   Varying track records
7.2   Organisations promoting business partnerships for development
7.3   Standards of good practice
7.4   Indigenous companies leading the way
7.5   Varying support for projects promoting civil and political rights
7.6   Non-governmental organisations’ attitudes towards working with business
7.7   Companies and the social agenda
7.8   Globalisation: A threat to company-supported social development programmes?

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