The relationships between corruption and human rights are complex but cry out for exploring. Could anti-corruption benefit from a human rights perspective? How can the two communities work better together – and what are some risks and challenges?

This Quick Guide gives a brief introduction to the ideas of the Basel Institute’s Vice-President, Professor Anne Peters, and some of our initial work at the intersection of corruption and human rights.

The International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Business at OECD (BIAC) and BusinessEurope, their member federations and the tens of millions of companies they represent have been deeply engaged in the promotion and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The tenth anniversary of the UN Guiding Principles this year is an important moment for stocktaking and re-focusing efforts to strengthening their uptake. 

Human rights are a key concern for business. As the global voice of business, IOE is deeply engaged in the business and human rights agenda and strongly supports the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The UNGPs were endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in its resolution 17/4 of 16 June 20111.

Written inputs to inform the Human Rights Council

This note provides written inputs on question 4 and question 5 of the call for inputs published by the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Business and Human Rights. It relates to the February 2020 multi-stakeholder consultation on connecting the business and human rights and anti-corruption agendas.

This guide is a living document that aims to provide companies with ideas on how synergies between the human rights and corruption agendas could potentially be linked.

Specifically, it aims:

Report of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises

This report was prepared pursuant to United Nations Human Rights Council resolutions 17/4 and 35/7. It was presented at the forty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council on 15 June–3 July 2020 during agenda item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development.