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BOX 1
United Nations human rights instruments elaborating the rights of persons
belonging to particular groups or populations
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers
and Members of their Families
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious
and Linguistic Minorities
In most instances, the rights in these instruments relate to the individuals in the groups
they address. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
addresses both the human rights of indigenous individuals and the collective rights
of indigenous peoples.
do not take part directly in armed hostilities—as well as to the assets and
capital investments of enterprises. On the other, it imposes obligations on
managers and staff not to breach international humanitarian law and exposes
them—and the enterprises themselves—to the risk of criminal or civil liability
in the event that they do so. The International Committee of the Red Cross
has developed guidance on the rights and obligations of business enterprises
under international humanitarian law.7
Q 5. How can all internationally recognized human rights be
relevant to business?
The corporate responsibility to respect human rights applies to all internationally
recognized human rights, because business enterprises can have an impact—
7
Business and International Humanitarian Law: An Introduction to the Rights and Obligations
of Business Enterprises under International Humanitarian Law (International Committee of the Red
Cross, 2006).