Norway

3.2 Responsible Business Conduct [page 31]

An enterprise may cause or contribute to adverse human rights impacts if for example its employees are working under disgraceful conditions or if the living conditions of the local community that are directly affected by the company’s operations decline without prior explanation from or dialogue with the relevant parties, including the local authorities. Impacts on the climate and the environment resulting from the enterprise’s activities, for example through land use, exploitation of natural resources, greenhouse gas emissions or releases of hazardous substances, may also have adverse impacts on a broader range of human rights, such as minority and indigenous people’s rights or the right to life, health, food, water or adequate housing. If a company is responsible for such impacts, it is also responsible for addressing them.

Norwegian companies should be aware that the UN Guiding Principles also include a responsibility to seek to prevent or reduce activities by their business relationships that have adverse human rights impacts. Examples of business relationships are subcontractors, enterprises the company has invested in, and business partners. However, the principles also emphasise that this does not mean that the company is complicit in the detrimental activities of its business relationships. They encourage companies to use their influence to mitigate the adverse impacts of such activities.

Political unrest and conflict entail a particularly high risk of human rights abuses. Companies that operate in such areas should therefore exercise particular due diligence if they are to avoid becoming involved in such abuses. A typical example is abuses perpetrated by security personnel hired to protect the company. There is also a higher risk of corruption, illegal transactions, sexual abuse and other forms of violence against civilians.