By Brendan Sweeney
With funding from the Danish International Development Agency and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Human Rights and Business Country Risk Portal will present business-relevant human rights information on developing countries around the world, and will enable companies, governments and rights advocates to better understand and address the human rights and development impacts of private-sector investment.
Aimed at businesses, civil society, governments and multilateral institutions, the new portal will describe the human rights risks to business in specific countries, and will present analyses and recommendations to reduce those risks.
“In recent years we have seen a growing realization among companies, government and civil society that understanding human rights risks in local operating environments is the first and most important step in ensuring private-sector compliance, good practice and positive impact,” said Margaret Jungk, Director of the Human Rights and Business Department at DIHR. “We are proud to create this new service, the first of its kind to provide companies and others interested in promoting ethical business in developing countries with free, up-to-date information on human rights conditions.”
The basic aim of the Country Risk Portal is to enable all actors to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights in a sustainable economic environment.
“When carried out on a sustainable basis, foreign investment and business operations can play a significant role in improving the quality of education, equality and prosperity in the developing world,” Margaret Jungk continued. “On the other hand, if human rights and good practice are ignored, businesses can entrench discrimination, degrade resources and exploit vulnerable groups.”
The Country Risk Portal has secured funding from the Danish International Development Agency and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency for an initial pilot phase. Throughout 2010, DIHR will consult stakeholders in order to develop new methodologies. All Country Risk Portal materials will be posted online at the end of 2010.
DIHR is a global leader on human rights and business issues. Since 1999, DIHR has worked closely with the business and human rights communities to develop tools and standards for better business practice. DIHR engages with the private sector through research, capacity building, tool development, consultancy and its worldwide network of civil society partners and National Human Rights Institutions.
The Institute works with a wide range of industry sectors and provides policy analysis, on-site compliance assessments and country risk assessments to corporate actors. DIHR also conducts research and tools development aimed at promoting good human rights practices in the private sector as well as implementing capacity building projects with civil society and business in developing countries. The Institute also chairs the Working Group on Business and Human Rights under the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions.
For further information, please contact Brendan Sweeney at
