Business: Human Rights

(asked on 8th February 2024) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to ensure that there is legal liability to provide effective remedies for all forms of human rights violations committed abroad by corporations domiciled in the United Kingdom.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 26th February 2024

The UK Government has consistently supported the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and supports voluntary human rights due diligence approaches by UK businesses to respect human rights across their operations. In line with the Principles, the UK has a range of judicial and state-based, non-judicial mechanisms that help to support access to remedy for human rights abuses by UK business enterprises both in the UK and overseas. For example, the UK operates a National Contact Point to run a non-judicial grievance mechanism to assess alleged non-compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, offering a platform for mediation and conciliation.

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