back to home

See also the following sections of this website:

• European Parliament: Code of conduct for European enterprises
• Intergovernmental organisations
• International finance/trade organisations
• Environment (includes environmental standards)
• Universality of human rights: General

United Nations:

UN Charter articles referring to human rights (1945)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) 

• {···español: Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos}

• {···français: Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme}

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) 

• {···español: Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos}

• {···français: Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques}

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)

• {···español: Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales}

• {···français: Pacte international relatif aux droits économiques, sociaux et culturels}

Fact sheet: The International Bill of Rights (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) {···français}

Basic Documents on Economic and Social Rights (Center on Economic and Social Rights)

UN Declaration on the Right to Development (1986)

• {···español: Declaración sobre el derecho al desarrollo} 

• {···français: Déclaration sur le droit au développement} 

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965) {···français···español} 

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) {···français···español} 

Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) {···français···español}

Fact sheet: The Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) {···français···español}

General Comment on Right to Water: [United Nations] Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopts General Comment on right to water (U.N. News Centre, 26 Nov. 2002)

UN Global Compact

United Nations draft human rights principles for business: Human Rights Principles and Responsibilities for Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises (Working group on the working methods and activities of transnational corporations, U.N. Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Feb. 2002 for discussion in July/Aug. 2002):

• The principles without commentary

• Introduction to the principles

• The principles with commentary

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights website (includes UN documents relating to human rights) 

• {···español: Oficina del Alto Comisionado para los Derechos Humanos}

• {···français: Haut-Commissariat aux droits de l'homme}

Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (United Nations World Conference on Human Rights, June 1993)

ILO:

Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (International Labour Organization, Nov. 1977) {···français···español}

Declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work (International Labour Organization, June 1998) {···français···español}

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour: IPEC (International Labour Organization) {···français···español}

Effective abolition of child labour: Conventions Nos. 138 and 182 (International Labour Organization) {···français···español}

How to find international and national labour law (International Labour Organization)

• {···français} Comment trouver de l'information sur le droit national et international du travail (Organisation internationale du Travail)

International Labour Standards on Forced Labour (International Labour Organization) {···français···español}

Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention: ILO Convention No. 169 (1989) {···français···español}

• Indigenous and Tribal Peoples: A Guide to ILO Convention No. 169 (Manuela Tomei and Lee Swepston, ILO, 1996) 

SafeWork: Codes of Practice - ILO Codes of Practice contain practical recommendations intended for all those with a responsibility for occupational safety and health in both the public and private sectors. (International Labour Organization, InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment)

• {···español} SafeWork: Repertorios de recomendaciones prácticas (Organización Internacional del Trabajo)

• {···français} SafeWork: Recueils de directives pratiques (Organisation Internationale du Travail)

OECD:

Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, June 2000) {···français}

• Revised OECD Guidelines - new dawn or old wine? (Duncan McLaren, Head of Policy and Research at Friends of the Earth, in Human Rights & Business Matters, newsletter of Amnesty International UK Business Group, autumn 2000/winter 2001)

• Rules Even Businesses Should Love [referring to OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises] (Reginald Dale, International Herald Tribune, 12 Dec. 2000)

General materials:

Banks in drive for project principles - The drive by Citigroup and large European providers of project finance in emerging markets to obtain industry-wide adherence to the International Finance Corporation's social and environmental guidelines may increase pressure on export credit agencies to do the same..."In the past, the US Export-Import bank has taken the lead on environmental standards and issues of transparency," said John Sohn, an expert on export credit agencies at Friends of the Earth...The impetus behind the US lead was in part due to financing of the controversial Three Gorges dam in China in 1996. The US Export-Import bank decided not to finance the project...Non-US ECAs, such as Germany's Hermes and Export Development Canada, less constrained by environmental standards, provided some finance for the dam. In an attempt to create a level playing field, the US Export-Import Bank began promoting within the OECD the concept of common and transparent environmental standards but its moves have generally been met with resistance. (Demetri Sevastopulos, Financial Times, 9 Apr. 2003)

• Four banks adopt IFC agreement - At least four European and US banks plan to adopt the International Finance Corporation's social and environmental guidelines for project finance in emerging markets, a clear signal that banks are awakening to the risks of socially irresponsible investing. ABN Amro, Barclays, Citibank and WestLB, in collaboration with the IFC, the private-sector arm of the World Bank, have drafted an agreement called the "Equator Principles"...Under the agreement, the banks agree to adopt the IFC's social and environmental rules for sustainable development, which include guidelines on issues ranging from environmental assessment and natural habitats to indigenous peoples and child and forced labour. (Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times, 6 Apr. 2003)

• Four Banks Adopt Social and Environmental Guidelines for Developing World Projects (Business for Social Responsibility News Monitor summary of article in Financial Times, 7 Apr. 2003)

New pollution treaty improves right-to-know - A new international law improving the public’s right to know about levels of pollutants and their sources was finalised late yesterday after a final four-day round of negotiations at the UN in Geneva. The treaty involves countries from Europe, Central Asia and Canada, but not the United States who dropped out last year. (Friends of the Earth, 31 Jan. 2003)

Defining Global Business Principles: Towards a new role for investors in promoting international corporate responsibility [refers to human rights, labour issues, environmental issues; includes sections entitled "Globalisation and coporate responsibility", "Global ethical principles", "The Global Business Principles Project"]  (Dr. Craig Mackenzie, Head of Investor Responsibility, Insight Investment, Nov. 2002)