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Business and human rights

Human rights defenders promote and peacefully defend human rights in connection with territories, natural resources, livelihoods and climate in order for their communities to live sustainably.

Many human rights defenders face threats and attacks defending their community from adverse impact of business operations, often in the context of large development projects that affect access to land and livelihoods.

ISHR believes that businesses and human rights defenders operate in and benefit from a “shared civic space” defined by common, fundamental essential freedoms. These are essential to the realisation of all human rights, but also critical to enable stable, profitable and sustainable business environments in which companies thrive and economies, communities and people prosper.

Today, the human rights and business norms require global companies to behave responsibly and assess the human rights risks associated with their operations. Companies can no longer hide behind complex international supply chains or a network of subsidiaries owned by authoritarian leaders. Businesses have a responsibility to understand the complexities of the countries where they invest, to examine the suppliers they buy from, and to take into consideration the potential for impact associated with operating in countries where governance is weak and the rule of law is fragile.

ISHR works with human rights defenders who advocate for business and human rights issues. Particularly:

  • We strengthen and build their capacity to defend the rights of their communities at the national and international level;
  • We strengthen mechanisms to ensure that defenders are adequately protected from intimidation and attacks; and
  • We co-manage the Business Network on Civic Freedoms and Human Rights Defenders, a space for learning, discussion and action where international leading companies explore the role they play in helping to protect civic freedoms and human rights defenders globally.

Latest updates

Check out all the latest updates to this topic.

HRC60: Defender calls for genuine partnership in development projects in Papua New Guinea

In a statement delivered during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, Cressida Kuala, a human rights defender from Porgera Red Wara (River) Women's Association in Papua New Guinea, urged the Council to ensure that development projects in the affected communities are based on genuine partnership, co-ownership and benefit sharing. Read and watch the full statement below.

HRC60: Key issues on agenda of the September 2025 session

The 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council will consider issues including acts of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN, systemic racism, environment and climate justice, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and people of African descent. It will also present an opportunity to address grave human rights situations in States including Afghanistan, Burundi, China, Israel/oPt, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan and Venezuela, and many others. Here's an overview of some of the key issues on the agenda.

HRC59: In Colombia, the promise of lasting peace faces persistent challenges

At HRC59, woman human rights defender Laura Restrepo delivered a compelling statement, drawing attention to critical issues that undermine prospects for lasting peace in Colombia, such as the need for improved coordination between authorities and the importance of clarifying the connections between corporate interests and human rights violations.

Resources

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Explainer: breaking down the UN's Xinjiang report

On 31 August 2022, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released its much-awaited report on serious human rights violations in the Uyghur region (Xinjiang). ISHR prepared a multilingual explainer to break down the report's findings.

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