31 principles (the first 10 of which relate to State duties) implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ framework on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The Guiding Principles were developed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and were unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011. The UNGPs are the most authoritative guidance on how to “prevent and address human rights abuses in business operations”3 Under Pillar 1 of this framework, the State has the primary legal responsibility to protect the human rights of its citizens. Pillar 2 requires businesses to respect human rights by avoiding infringing on the human rights of others and addressing adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved. Pillar 3 requires states to ensure, through judicial, administrative or other appropriate means, that rights holders have access to effective remedy when human rights abuses occur. In addition, the UNGPs are cited by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a Means of Implementation, to be used to “foster a dynamic and well-functioning business sector, while protecting labor rights and environmental and health standards in accordance with relevant international standards....such as the UNGPs”4 . The SDG Impact Standards link directly to the UNGPs.

UNHR. (2011). Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. United Nations. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/guidingprinciplesbusinesshr_en.pdf