Business and Human Rights

Who We Are
The State Departments Internet Freedom and state duties and business responsibilities around
Business & Human Rights (IFBHR) Section within the business and human rights.
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
leads U.S. government policy engagement on Multi-stakeholder: We lead engagement in The
business and human rights. Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights
(VPs). The VPs guide extractive
The activities of businesses impact OUR APPROACH companies on providing security
the lives of millions of people for their operations in a manner
worldwide. Even small enterprises PROMOTE & PROTECT that respects human rights.
have supply chains that span Fostering implementation of Member companies carry out a
continents. Consistent with the UN international human rights law human rights risk assessment of
Guiding Principles on Business and and developing commitments their engagements with public and
Human Rights (Guiding Principles) in the global business and private security providers.
human rights space with key
on Business and Human Rights and stakeholders
the OECD Guidelines on We participate in The
Multinational Enterprises, we CONVENE & FACILITATE International Code of Conduct for
encourage U.S. companies to Creating a space for Private Security Service Providers
uphold high standards and respect emerging and critical issues to (ICoCA), an oversight and
human rights in the communities be debated among relevant governance mechanism for private
where they operate. stakeholder groups security companies promoting
respect for human rights and
What We Do DEVELOP & IMPLEMENT humanitarian law in complex
Establishing tools, training environments. ICoCA includes a
and guidance for U.S. certification, monitoring, and
We partner with companies, civil government officials to be
society, and like-minded complaint mechanism.
more effective envoys on
governments to promote respect for business and human rights
human rights in business. We lead We sit on the Board of the Mega
policy efforts to disseminate and Contact the IFBHR team: Sporting Events Platform to
implement the Guiding Principles, IFBHR@state.gov address human rights challenges in
engage in multi-stakeholder the life-cycle of mega sporting
initiatives, and work to find solutions to urgent events, such as the World Cup and
human rights policy issues involving business. Olympic Games.

Examples of our Engagement Programming: Our Global Programs support

Bilateral and Multilateral: We collaborate with like-
minded governments to advance human rights
commitments at the UN, G-7, G-20 and the OECD.
This includes co-sponsorship of the UN Human Rights
Councils landmark resolution endorsing the Guiding
Principles a framework that sets out
capacity building to enable civil society actors to
engage more effectively with businesses and other
stakeholders to address business and human rights
issues in the field.
Building awareness in the U.S. Government: We
build tools and conduct training to help our State
Department and interagency colleagues in
Washington and overseas become more effective
envoys on business and human rights issues.