Human rights and security

IFC Environmental and Social Performance Standards

International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) Environmental and Social Performance Standards (IFC Performance Standards) define clients' responsibilities for managing their environmental and social risks.

The IFC Performance Standards are a widely accepted benchmark for companies in managing the environmental and social risks at an operational level. 

UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011.   

The UNGPs provide the first global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity, and they continue to provide the internationally accepted framework for enhancing standards and practices with regard to business and human rights.

United Nations Global Compact Principles

The UN Global Compact is a principle-based framework for businesses, stating ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption.

OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD Guidelines) are recommendations from governments to multinational enterprises on responsible business conduct. The OECD Guidelines set standards for responsible business conduct across a range of issues such as human rights, labour rights, and the environment.

The ILO Declaration provides the minimum content for labour rights for companies related to:

• freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining,
• the elimination of forced or compulsory labour,
• the abolition of child labour and

the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Created in 2000, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) is a multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes the implementation of a set of principles that guide companies on providing security for their operations while respecting human rights.

The VPSHR guide companies in conducting a comprehensive human rights risk assessment in their engagement with public and private security providers, to ensure human rights are respected.