A variety of stakeholders, such as many NGOs and the public at large, are concerned about
the protection of human rights in geographies with immature public institutions, especially
where the law is either weak or not properly enforced. The public will not accept that
businesses’ profits are enabled by violations of fundamental human rights in such weak
jurisdictions. Rather, the expectations are that businesses will apply the same standards across
the board wherever businesses operate. The public expectation does not stop at the factory
gate. Large multinationals are expected to assume a duty to do due diligence on potential 2
business partners, especially on the supply side. In addition, simply complying is no longer
enough. Businesses are increasingly expected to become pro-active and make a contribution
to improving the situation, also beyond their legal boundaries.
Today, stakeholders’ expectations about the responsibility of businesses with regards to
human rights have three facets: (i) Doing no harm, (ii) making a positive contribution and (iii)
look at the sphere of influence.