Protecting human rights in business operations is a critical responsibility and a complex management challenge for companies. Our research aims to develop strategies and recommendations that address these real-world challenges businesses face every day.
Impact Report 2019-2021
At the GCBHR, we strive to improve the lives of workers and communities where companies operate. We do this through conducting research that highlights how to advance human rights in corporate practice.
In order to fulfill our mission, we have developed a methodology that aims at maximizing the impact of our work. Our first impact report “Striving for Impact - The Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights (PDF)” captures the GCBHR’s impact in the first two years since its launch in three main areas: research, engagement, and teaching.
Methodology
Embedded at the Geneva School for Economics and Management at the University of Geneva, rigorous research is the starting point of our work at the Geneva Center. The research questions that we explore originate from corporate practice and concern pressing human rights challenges.
We believe that talking to practitioners and key stakeholders on the ground is essential for understanding human rights impacts of business operations. This is why our research process involves the engagement of multiple stakeholders and, if possible, includes field visits.
At the end of a research process, we publish a report that presents our analysis of current business models and core business operations and explains how these practices affect human rights. Our reports conclude with recommendations for companies and policy makers.
Based on these recommendations, we then develop strategies to advance human rights in corporate practice. We again engage with key stakeholders to encourage the development of standards, metrics, and means of evaluation to address key human rights challenges in specific business contexts.
We also advocate our recommendations through speaking at public events, writing publicly, informing industry alliances, facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations, and offering capacity-building modules.
Finally, we translate our research insights into teaching tools to prepare the next generation of leaders to identify, analyze and resolve human rights challenges in business.