As Antony Crockett, Senior Associate with Herbert Smith Freehills, describes in this expert article, business enterprises are now under increased pressure to ensure that human rights are respected throughout their operations. The pressure comes in part from the 2011 endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, related revisions to key international standards, some domestic reforms and revised lending standards regarding human rights. As a result, one strategy companies are considering is the integration of human rights requirements into their commercial agreements to help demonstrate their expectations of business partners and to help hold business partners to improved standards of performance. This new exclusive expert article written for the Investment & Human Rights Learning Hub explores this strategy and its implications.
