16
(a) A policy commitment to meet their responsibility to respect human
rights;
(b) A human rights due diligence process to identify, prevent, mitigate
and account for how they address their impacts on human rights;
(c) Processes to enable the remediation of any adverse human rights
impacts they cause or to which they contribute.
Commentary
Business enterprises need to know and show that they respect human rights.
They cannot do so unless they have certain policies and processes in place.
Principles 16 to 24 elaborate further on these.
B. Operational principles
Policy commitment
16. As the basis for embedding their responsibility to respect human rights,
business enterprises should express their commitment to meet this
responsibility through a statement of policy that:
(a) Is approved at the most senior level of the business enterprise;
(b) Is informed by relevant internal and/or external expertise;
(c) Stipulates the enterprise’s human rights expectations of personnel,
business partners and other parties directly linked to its operations,
products or services;
(d) Is publicly available and communicated internally and externally
to all personnel, business partners and other relevant parties;
(e) Is reflected in operational policies and procedures necessary to
embed it throughout the business enterprise.
Commentary
The term “statement” is used generically, to describe whatever means an
enterprise employs to set out publicly its responsibilities, commitments, and
expectations.
The level of expertise required to ensure that the policy statement is adequately
informed will vary according to the complexity of the business enterprise’s
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