The Human Rights Compliance Assessment (HRCA) is an online tool designed for businesses to measure and enhance their adherence to international human rights principles. It provides a comprehensive checklist, assesses risks, benchmarks performance, and aids companies in preventing human rights violations while managing legal and reputational risks. The HRCA has been developed through extensive consultations and can be customized for different industries and operational contexts.

1. The Human Rights
Compliance Assessment

2. About this Presentation
This presentation describes the concept,
features and application of the Human
Rights Compliance Assessment, a
comprehensive tool that allows businesses
to measure their performance on
international human rights principles.
Access the HRCA at
HumanRightsBusiness.org

3. Agenda
1. The need for a human rights tool
2. What is the HRCA?
3. HRCA content and features
4. How to use the HRCA
5. The HRCA in practice
6. Accessing the HRCA

4. 1. The Need for a
Human Rights Tool
Why is it important to systematically assess
your company’s human rights risks and
performance?

5. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
1. Improve Human Rights
Performance
Human rights assessments help companies
prevent and mitigate abuses, and avoid
complicity in human rights violations committed
by third parties

6. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
1. Improve Human Rights
Performance
Reduce reputational risk

7. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
1. Improve Human Rights
Performance
Reduce reputational risk
Legal liability
Companies are increasingly exposed to home,
host and extraterritorial legislation concerning
their social impacts

8. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
1. Improve Human Rights
Performance
Reduce reputational risk
Legal liability
Operational risk
Human rights violations can lead to
blockades, work stoppages, sabotage and
other actions that could affect output.

9. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
2. Corporate Commitments
Human rights assessments help
companies implement their values

10. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
2. Corporate Commitments
External commitments

11. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
2. Corporate Commitments
Internal commitments
Code of conduct
Business principles
More than 250 multinational companies have
publicly committed to upholding human rights
principles in their operations

12. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
3. Investor Requirements
60% of worldwide project finance includes social criteria
Socially responsible investment makes up 11% of U.S.
investment flows

13. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
4. Reputational Risk and
Unclear Responsibilities in
Non-Technical Risk
Challenging Locations
Human rights assessments help
companies set standards and
performance benchmarks when
operating in high-risk environments

14. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
4. Reputational Risk and
Unclear Responsibilities in
Non-Technical Risk
Challenging Locations
Legal conflicts
International
standards may be
absent or
contradicted in
domestic law

15. The Need for a Human Rights Tool
4. Reputational Risk and
Unclear Responsibilities in
Non-Technical Risk
Challenging Locations
Complicity in violations
Companies may assist in
or benefit from host state
rights abuses

16. 2. What is the HRCA?
The Human Rights Compliance Assessment is
an online checklist tool that allows companies
to comprehensively measure their compliance
with international human rights principles.

17. What is the HRCA?
HRCA objective
Benchmark and improve human rights
performance
Monitor and report progress
Define legal responsibilities and development
opportunities
Build internal awareness and capacity

18. What is the HRCA?
HRCA Objective:
Benchmark and improve human rights
performance
Monitor and report performance
Define legal responsibilities and development
opportunities
Build internal awareness and capacity

19. What is the HRCA?
How does the HRCA make human
rights standards operational?

20. What is the HRCA?
How does the HRCA make human
rights standards operational?
80 international Company
Translate
human rights
into Policy
instruments
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Company
International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, International Covenant
Procedures
on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, International Labour
Organization Core Conventions, etc. Company
Performance

21. What is the HRCA?
Example:
Right to Religious Freedom
Human Rights Instruments
The right is recognized in:
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of
Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981)
 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965)
 International Labour Organization:
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958

22. What is the HRCA?
Example:
Right to Religious Freedom
What does this rights
principle mean for
companies?

23. What is the HRCA?
Example:
Right to Religious Freedom
Company Policy
The company publicly commits to:
Recognize religious expression
Prohibit religious harassment

24. What is the HRCA?
Example:
Right to Religious Freedom
Company Procedures
Systems, directives and guidelines ensure that:
Workers are allowed to express religion at the workplace
Workers are allowed to take religious holidays
If abuses occur, workers can file grievances confidentially
and anonymously

25. What is the HRCA?
Example:
Right to Religious Freedom
Company Performance
Company monitoring and audits:
Track incidents of harassment
Follow up on grievances

26. What is the HRCA?
80 international Company
Translate
human rights
instruments
into Policy
Company
Procedures
Company
Performance

27. 3. HRCA Content
and Features

28. The HRCA Tool
Checklist Tool
Traffic light system   
Quantitative
Legal liability performance scoring
Summary report and follow-up Action Plan

29. The HRCA Tool
Comprehensive Coverage
All internationally recognized human rights
200 questions and more than 1,000 company
policy, procedure and performance indicators

30. The HRCA Tool
Comprehensive Coverage
Questions target company function areas
 Employment Practices
Forced labour  Child labour and young workers  Non-discrimination 
Freedom of association  Working conditions  Workplace health and safety
 Community Impact
Acquisition of land  Environmental impact  Provision of housing, water,
sanitation, electricity, education and healthcare  Operations in remote areas
 Supplier, Customer and Government Relations
Supply chain and recruitment agency management  Advertising and labeling 
Complicity in violations by third parties  Bribery and corruption

31. The HRCA Tool
Consultation and Testing
2002-2005: Consultation process
70 companies, 50 human rights organizations,
35 international rights experts
Piloted with Shell International
Content and interface fully updated in 2010

32. 4. How to Use the HRCA
Getting started

33. Using the HRCA
1. Log On

34. Using the HRCA
2. Choose
sector and
countries of
operation

35. Using the HRCA
3. View
checklist

36. Using the HRCA
4. Answer
questions and
indicators

37. Using the HRCA
5. Review
summary
report

38. 5. The HRCA in Practice
How companies use the HRCA

39. The HRCA in
Practice
Meet human rights commitments
Develop internal policies and systems
Compare to external human rights frameworks

40. The HRCA in
Practice
Customise to company
Tailor human rights checklists to company operations,
locations and function areas
‘We have been working with DIHR since 2007 to develop a tool our
subsidiaries and units can use to make sure that their practices are
in fact aligned with the Total Code of Conduct and the principles set
forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ILO’s
fundamental conventions.’
— Total Oil Environment and Society Report 2009

41. The HRCA in
Practice
Customise to sector
Tailor human rights checklists to risks associated with
certain industries and activities
Pharmaceutical Financial
Right to health Valuation criteria
Access to medicines Project finance
Stakeholder engagement

42. The HRCA in
Practice
Site Visits
DIHR applies checklists by interviewing country managers
and local function-area heads
‘The methodology makes it possible, by means of self assessments
guided by independent experts from the Danish Institute for Human
Rights, to identify behaviour and decisions that can have an impact on
human rights in all types of business and operational areas.’
— Eni.com

43. The HRCA in
Practice
Self-Application
The company conducts its own site visits and interviews,
with DIHR assisting in initial scoping and final data analysis
Novartis Indonesia tested a draft version of the HRCA tool for pharmaceutical
companies […] Testing the tool particularly improves the methodology and the
integration into existing management systems of pharmaceutical companies
— Novartis Communication on Progress, 2009

44. The HRCA in
Practice
Supply Chain
The company applies the HRCA in
its suppliers and business partners
‘In 2007, Groupe SEB decided to assess the
practices of all its sites of more than 10
employees regarding respect for human rights,
with the HRCA’
— GroupeSEB.com

45. The HRCA in
Practice
Identifying Due Diligence
Companies use the HRCA to identify due diligence steps
toward preventing and mitigating human rights abuses,
particularly in challenging contexts
Internal Awareness-Raising
The operational nature of the tool allows managers and
employees to tie specific tasks to broader objectives,
increasing uptake and retention

46. Additional Checks

47. Additional Checks
HRCA Quick Check
Free, condensed version of HRCA
Developed in cooperation with
development finance institutions, SMEs

48. Additional Checks
Measures company performance against
all 10 Global Compact Principles

49. Additional Checks
China Check
Checklists tailored to Chinese law
and practice
Developed in cooperation with
Chinese businesses, government
officials and NGOs

50. 6. Accessing The HRCA

51. Accessing the HRCA
Subscription
Free versions

52. Accessing the HRCA
Subscription
Free versions