Business responsibility for human rights is an increasingly important global issue.  To address these concerns at a local level, QUB Law School and the Northern Ireland Human Right Commission have joined forces to explore how Northern Irish companies are currently implementing human rights in their reporting practices and aligning with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Dr Marisa McVey, Institute Fellow: Rights and Social Justice, is leading the initiative at the School of Law.  The project is supported by the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions.

With movement on business and human rights regulation across the globe, there remains much to be done at a local level.  Much of the international impetus has been directed towards large multinational corporations, with little thought given to small, medium and micro-level firms.  NI companies are not immune to these global trends, particularly as many operate across borders subject to increasingly stringent human rights regulations.  Moreover, following Brexit, NI finds itself in a unique and complex economic position, with significant implications for human rights standards.  As such, it is imperative to look at how NI companies understand and implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, share best practices and highlight areas of improvement. 

The research, which will be relevant to companies, NGOs, government and academics, will launch in early 2024, with a view to further stakeholder engagement.

Commenting on the project, Dr McVey said:

“Queen’s Law School is delighted to have this new partnership with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, and we look forward to developing research in this area over the years ahead.  Corporate responsibility for human rights is an incredibly important and timely topic.  We hope this new research will motivate and engage businesses in Northern Ireland to further embed human rights at the heart of their future strategies.  Moreover, this project will bolster current policies such as the PPN and inform future policy and legislative initiatives regarding business and human rights and modern slavery in Northern Ireland”.

NIHRC Chief Commissioner, Alyson Kilpatrick explains:

“This new Northern Ireland Business and Human Rights Index will create a league table of businesses operating in Northern Ireland. It will strengthen our work with the private sector helping to promote and protect human rights within this sphere.  It will also further support the work of public authorities responsible for procuring services, assisting with due diligence and the incorporation of human rights considerations into tendering exercises and contracts.  The project will allow the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to showcase good practice and learning experiences with our partnership across the network of European National Human Rights Institutions.”

Read the NI Human Rights Commission statement in full here.