The 2005 business and human rights seminar report: exploring responsibility and complicity

This document outlines the 2005 Business and Human Rights Seminar which explored the issue of business responsibility and complicity with regard to human rights abuses. The notion of business responsibility in this area forms the basis of the Second Principle of the United Nations Global Compact, and underpins other business and human rights standards, such as the OECD Guidelines and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

The conference considered how far business’s responsibilities extend, and what businesses could do to minimise the risk of being complicit in abuses of human rights. Debating these issues were key figures from a wide variety of organisations, including many from the business community.

The following areas were debated:

• responsibility and complicity’ from the perspective of business
• responsibility and complicity’ from the perspective of international human rights law
• responsibility and complicity’ and the moral expectations of society.