Export Credits, Guarantees & Insurance

‘Export credits, guarantees and insurance’ refers to certain products and services that facilitate overseas investment by domestic business enterprises, or support the sale of domestic goods and services to foreign purchasers. These products and services can be provided by entities such as export credit agencies and insurers. Such entities may be public, private or mixed, and the range of services that they offer varies. Some such services include political risk insurance or credits and guarantees that cover the purchase of overseas goods and services and foreign investment projects.

A number of export credit and insurance entities have developed standards that reflect concern for human rights and have started to adapt practices to integrate social and environmental criteria in at least some of their products and services.

The Learning Hub’s work on export credits, guarantees and insurance will build understanding about these products and services, focusing on identifying their role in ensuring that cross-border economic activity do not contribute to negative impacts on human rights. The Hub will invite consideration of how the implementation of existing standards relating to human rights can be improved and where new standards may be useful.

Start exploring the resources already available in the Learning Hub while work in this area is developing. The Investment & Human Rights Map provides tailored explanations of investment activities, human rights and their connections in each of the main areas:

The Learning Hub also offers extensive information on: Arbitration, State-investor contracts and International Human Rights Law, along with a range of useful Tools:

  • Toolboxes offering a dynamic repository of selected reference materials for practice, while drawing attention to emerging issues;
  • Expert articles offering analysis and insights from practitioners and leading experts on investment and human rights, highlighting key issues for practice; and
  • Learning videos offering basic explanations of essential topics and providing expert views on investment and human rights issues.

Stay informed as the Hub develops and creates new content and resources by following us on Twitter @InvestHumanRts, signing up to our mailing list or checking our What’s New.