Business and Human Rights is set in London, UK. The purpose of their Resource Centre is to increase the transparency of companies’ human rights impacts, bringing information about their conduct to a global audience; increase corporate accountability for human rights, including legal accountability; encourage companies to respect human rights, avoid harm to people, and maximise their positive contribution; facilitate constructive, informed decision-making and public discussion. The website is updated hourly with news and reports from around the world, featuring allegations of misconduct and positive initiatives by companies. The site receives 1.5 million hits per month. Each week a free Weekly Update is sent to over 8000 subscribers worldwide – people working in NGOs, business, social investment firms, the media, government, academia, the United Nations and other inter-governmental organisations. Before including allegations against a company in the Weekly Update, the company is invited to respond: this ensures that coverage is fair and encourages dialogue and practical change on the ground. The response rate from companies is currently over 75%. There is a link with the work of the UN Special Representative on business and human rights, John Ruggie. BHR will be the main link between EJOLT and corporate actors that often enter into dialogue with BHR on particular cases of alleged human rights violations or socio-environmental liabilities. BHR will invite to our workshops, if appropriate, stakeholders from business and hold a dissemination event in London where they will be invited. It will also contribute substantially to Work Package 2 (data base), and will have an important role in Work Package 8 (economic valuation and liabilities) and particularly in Work Package 9 (law and institutions).
Mauricio Lazala. International lawyer with human rights experience in Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. Educated at Cambridge University, he was president of the Students’ Law Society of Wolfson College. He obtained his BA in Political Science and History at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Joined the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in 2006 as researcher on Latin America & the Middle East, and was appointed Deputy Director in February 2011.
