A strong commitment to human rights from a business’s senior leaders is a prerequisite for embedding human rights into a business’s operations and activities. Support from senior leaders ensures that human rights issues are taken seriously and become part of business strategy.

There should be a sponsor for the human rights policy or statement at Executive or Board level. Additionally, there needs to be a designated individual (or individuals) within the business who owns the policy or statement and is tasked with ensuring it is fully implemented. The policy owner(s) should report to the executive level and typically may be the head of a function / department such as human resources, procurement, legal affairs, public affairs, or sustainability.

They should ensure they have sufficient resources for implementation, the results are monitored, and that it is regularly reviewed. Even the most clearly defined policies will require explanation. The policy owner(s) should act as a focal point for dealing with human rights issues that arise through implementation. There should also be access to both local and international expertise. The policy owner(s) should work with people in other business functions who are responsible for implementing it.