UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, also known as the "Ruggie Principles" after their initiator John Ruggie, were endorsed by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2011. They formulate the duty of states and companies to fulfil their human rights due diligence obligations and provide guidance on the implementation of due diligence processes, among other things. They include a declaration of principles on respect for human rights, procedures to identify actual and potential adverse impacts on human rights, measures to prevent potentially negative impacts and review the effectiveness of these measures, reporting and a complaints mechanism that is accessible to all potentially affected parties.