News

April 2008: The Country Risk Assessments (CRA) for Kenya and Russia are now available. The CRA presents comprehensive, business-focused data on human rights risk in a country. The Russia and Kenya CRAs each draw upon more than six months of research, and include detailed descriptions of human rights issues in formal law and common practice, offering detailed recommendations for companies with operations in each country. The publication of the Russia and Kenya CRA bring the number of CRAs offered by the Human Rights & Business Project up to 13.

February 2008: The Human Rights & Business Project released a comprehensive country risk assessment on Kenya.
[Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

January 2008: The Human Rights & Business Project released a comprehensive country risk assessment on Russia.
[Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

December 2007: The Quick Check is now also availbale in Dutch and Ukrainian. These translations can be found in the 'Publications' section.

November 2007: The Human Rights and Business Project is currently looking for a Publicity Manager/Researcher/Consultant. See the job ad in the 'About us' section.

September 2007: The Human Rights and Business Project is pleased to announce that Morton Winston has been named the Fulbright Danish Distinguished Chair of Human Rights and International Relations. He will be in residence at the Danish Institute for Human Rights during the fall of 2007 conducting research on the development of a comprehensive approach to corporate social responsibility.

Read the full press release here.

July 2007, Dutch ngo HOM is looking for companies and organisations working with the HRCA Quick Check and the CSR Compass who are willing to share (parts of) their experiences. More information available here.

February 2007, the Human Rights & Business Project released a comprehensive country risk assessment on Vietnam                                                               [ Download executive summary (pdf) ] [ Order Hard Copy ]

December 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project released the HRCA Quick Check in Chinese translation.
[ Download pdf  l  Please contact business@humanrights.dk for order of Hard Copy]

August 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project released a comprehensive country risk assessment on Kazakhstan.
[ Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

June 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project released a comprehensive country risk assessment on South Africa
[ Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

May 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project released a comprehensive country risk assessment on Ukraine
[ Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

May 2006, Ukraine Country Risk Assessment
In May of 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on Ukraine. 
[ Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

May 2006, South Africa Country Risk Assessment
In May of 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on South Africa. 
[ Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

April 2006, Tanzania Country Risk Assessment
In April of 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on Tanzania. 
[ Download executive summary (pdf) ]  [ Order Hard Copy ]

January 2006, HRCA profiled on Global Compact Website
The January 2006 issue of the UN Global Compact’s ‘Compact Quarterly’ Journal contains an article profiling the Human Rights & Business Project’s Human Rights Compliance Assessment (HRCA) tool.   Link

January 2006, Brazil Country Risk Assessment.
In January of 2006, the Human Rights & Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on Brazil. [ Download executive summary [pdf]  l  Order Hard Copy ]

2006, Shell External Review Committee
The Human Rights & Business Project took part in Shell's external review committee concerning Shell's sustainability issues in 2006. The letter to the board can be accessed via the following Link (pdf)

December 2005, International Launch of the HRCA Quick Check.
On 2 December 2005, the HRCA Quick Check was launched at the UN Global Compact meeting in Shanghai, China, by the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the Confederation of Danish Industries. [ Download Press Release [pdf] ].   

October 2005, Algeria Country Risk Assessment
In October of 2005, the Human Rights and Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on Algeria. [ Download Executive Summary [pdf]  l  Order Hard Copy ]

October 2005, UN Special Representative on human rights and business speaks at DIHR.
"On October 26, 2005, the Danish Institute for Human Rights welcomed Professor John Ruggie who has recently been appointed to the position as UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on human rights and business. As part of his inclusive mandate to clarify the human rights responsibilities of business, Professor Ruggie wanted to meet with the Human Rights and Business Department at DIHR to learn more about its pioneering work on human rights impact assessments for companies. Professor Ruggie also spoke to the staff of the Danish Institute for Human Rights where he offered his thoughts on recent developments within the field of human rights and business".

July 2005, Launch of HRCA Quick Check in Danish
In July 2005, the Human Rights and Business Project launched a Danish version of the Human Rights Compliance Assessment Quick Check, which was developed in cooperation with the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). The manual will be distributed to LO’s member organisations and their workers representatives to help assess human rights issues in their work environment. The Danish HRCA Quick Check is a smaller version of the full HRCA tool and offers a selection of the most essential and relevant human rights questions that companies need to consider when operating abroad. [ Download pdf  l  Order Hard Copy ]

July 2005, India Country Risk Assessment
In July of 2005, the Human Rights and Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on India.   Press release in English [pdf] or Danish [pdf]

June 2005, Report on Codes of Conduct in Denmark
In June 2005, The Human Rights & Business Project published the following report: “Corporate Codes of Conduct in Denmark - An examination of their CSR content”. While several studies have been conducted into the content of codes of conduct at the international level, we know very little about the exact formulation of social and environmental requirements in Danish codes. This study examines the content of Danish codes of conduct and benchmarks the performance of the codes against: 1) international norms and standards on human rights and labour; 2) codes of conduct developed in cooperation between trade unions, NGOs and companies; and 3) codes of conduct issued by foreign corporations. [ Download pdf  l  order Hard copy ]

June 2005, Launch of the CSR Compass
In June of 2005, The Human Rights & Business Project launched the ‘CSR Compass’ in cooperation with the Confederation of Danish Industries and the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs. The CSR Compass is an interactive tool aimed at assisting small- and medium-sized Danish companies in documenting compliance with environmental and social requirements from foreign buyers. In addition, the tool provides guidance to Danish companies on how to develop social and environmental standards with which their suppliers are obliged to comply. The tool was launched at a conference in Copenhagen on 15 June 2005. Link to CSR Compass (in Danish)

May 2005, Libya Country Risk Assessment
In May of 2005, the Human Rights and Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on Libya.

March 2005, China Country Risk Assessment
In March of 2005, the Human Rights and Business Project completed a comprehensive country risk analysis on China.
Press release in English [.doc] or Danish [.doc] 

January 2005, Launch of Corporate Membership Service
In January of 2005, the Human Rights and Business Project launched a Corporate Membership Service to promote the development of human rights and business tools for companies. The service includes access to country risk assessment reports, the full version of the Human Rights Compliance Assessment(HRCA), the HRCA hotline, a member briefing session, and human rights training for companies. For more information, please view the Corporate Membership Service Brochure [pdf].

November 2004, The 'Quick-Check‘
In November of 2005, the ‘Quick Check’ version of the Human Rights Compliance Assessment was made available for free on the Human Rights and Business Project website. The Quick Check is a smaller version of the HRCA and offers a selection of the some of the most essential and relevant human rights and business related questions. The questions, which are based on the 20 rights contained in the HRCA, were discussed and selected at the annual European Development Finance Institutions conference in May of 2004. [link]

July, 2004, Global Compact
In July of 2004, the Human Rights and Business Project contributed an article to the Global Compact 2004 Report. Authored by DIHR Director, Morten Kjærum, the article addresses the need for human rights compliance tools in the business community. [link]

June, 2004, Global Compact
On June 24, 2004, DIHR Director, Morten Kjærum presented the Human Rights and Business Project at the Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York. [link](in Danish). See also, " Morten Kjærum to first Global Compact Summit" [link] (in English).

May 2004, Annual meeting of European Development Finance Institutes at DIHR
On the 26th-28th of May, The Human Rights & Business Project hosted the annual meeting of the European Development Finance Institutes. On the first day, the participants reviewed a list of sample questions selected for possible inclusion in the ‘Quick Check’ version of the ‘Human Rights Compliance Assessment’ (HRCA), and provided input on the most compelling and significant human rights issues generally encountered in a business context.   On the second and third days, the participants discussed the IFC Equator Principles and contemplated different ways to address social issues when making investment decisions. The input provided by the participants during the conference was used to develop the ‘Quick Check’ version of the HRCA.   

May, 2004, Global Compact
In May 2004, The Global Compact Office released a comprehensive report entitled ‘Assessing the Global Compact’s Impact’. Based on extensive data analysis and a survey of stakeholders, the McKinsey & Company report evaluates the effectiveness of the Global Compact since its launch in July of 2000. The Human Rights & Business Project is recommended in the report as a positive initiative for content development of the Global Compact's human rights principles [link]

October 2003, World Bank Study  
The Human Rights & Business Project participated in a World Bank study on barriers to the social and environmental performance of suppliers in developing countries. The study was carried out for the World Bank Group by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, PricewaterhouseCoopers (Denmark), and Business for Social Responsibility (USA). The report, Strengthening Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Supply Chains', can be downloaded from the World Bank website (large PDF file) link]

September 2003, Copenhagen Business School Book Project
The Human Rights and Business Project contributed to the book “Values and Responsibility - The Case of Denmark”, which was presented to Peter Pruzan in recognition of his outstanding career in the area of business in society, and for his contribution to the Copenhagen Business School. [link]

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