United Kingdom

By Daniel Morris | 1. May 2018

The UK 2013 NAP

UK Government and access to remedy for human rights abuses resulting from business activity

The UK has a culture of human rights awareness and protection – much of which results from our framework of legislation described earlier – and our range of remedy mechanisms is diverse. We recognize that remedy may include apologies, restitution, rehabilitation, financial or non-financial compensation and punitive sanctions, as well as the prevention of harm through, for example, injunctions or guarantees of non-repetition.

Action for Government to promote access to remedy

We will:

(i) disseminate lessons from the 2012 experience of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). LOCOG developed a process informed by the UNGPs to deal with complaints and grievances related to the application of its Sustainable Sourcing Code by commercial partners, particularly in relation to labour conditions at factories supplying sponsors, licensees and suppliers.

(iv) support projects through the FCO Human Rights and Democracy Programme Fund relating to work on remedy procedures in other countries, including:

– help to States wishing to develop their human rights protection mechanisms and reduce barriers to remedy within their jurisdiction;

– support to civil society and trade union efforts to access effective remedy and promote protection of human rights defenders who are actively engaged on issues relating to business and human rights;

– support to business efforts to provide, adopt or participate in effective grievance mechanisms.

(v) keep the UK provision of remedy under review.

The UK 2016 updated NAP

4. Access to remedy for human right abuses resulting from business activity [page 20]

26.The UK has a culture of human rights awareness and protection – much of which results from our framework of legislation described earlier – and our range of remedy mechanisms is diverse.

27. We recognise that remedy may include apologies, restitution, rehabilitation, financial or non-financial compensation and punitive sanctions, as well as the prevention of harm through, for example, injunctions or guarantees of non-repetition.

Actions taken to promote access to remedy [page 21]

The Government has: (…)

(iii) supported projects through the FCO Human Rights and Democracy Programme Fund on work on remedy procedures in other countries, including:

  • help to States wishing to develop their human rights protection mechanisms and reduce barriers to remedy within their jurisdiction;
  • support to civil society and trade union efforts to access effective remedy and promote protection of human rights defenders active on business and human rights;
  • support to business efforts to provide, adopt or participate in effective grievance mechanisms

(v) commissioned an independent survey of the UK provision of remedy to help our understanding of judicial and non-judicial remedies available to victims of human rights harms involving business enterprises.

Government commitments 

The Government will:

(i) continue to ensure that the UK provides access to judicial and non-judicial remedies to victims of human rights harms linked to business activity. We will keep the UK provision of remedy under review.

(ii) continue to support work on remedy procedures in other countries, including help to other States, civil society and trade union efforts and support to business efforts.

(iii) continue to work to promote protection of human rights defenders active on business and human rights related issues.”

Box: Case study – Supporting human rights defenders in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil 

The UK supported International Service for Human Rights to deliver an intensive training and advocacy programme for human rights defenders working on issues relating to business and human rights in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.

ISHR also created a toolkit to equip human rights defenders to engage with and influence business and supported an advocacy mission to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for the purpose of briefing diplomats and decision-makers on the situation of human rights defenders working on issues of business and human rights in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico and obtaining recommendations in that regard.