Whether a worker in a factory, a dissident using the Internet to express his or her views, or members of a community living around a mine, those affected by business operations do not always have a voice against the practices of multinational corporations.
Although companies have become increasingly aware of the impact their business practices have on human rights, what remains less clear is how to incorporate respect for human rights into their operations while still preserving profitability.
Human Rights First has helped develop multi-stakeholder initiatives to address the following issues:
- Labor Rights: we played a leading role in establishing the Fair Labor Association (FLA) for the apparel and footwear industries.
- Internet Freedom and Privacy: we helped launch The Global Network Initiative (GNI) for the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) sector.
- Natural Resources and Security: we are working with partners to develop Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights for the oil and mining industries.
Recent Activity on Internet Freedom and Privacy
Human Rights First testifies on Human Rights Challenges Facing the Technology Industry: Read more
Mitchell Hartman interviews Elisa Massimino on internet freedom and accountability: Marketplace
Human Rights First co-organized the Human Rights Summit, bringing together international human rights defenders who met with President Obama to discuss how to advance basic freedoms. Read about the summit.
Read Elisa Massimino’s blog on the Huffington Post
What the United States Government Can Do: Read more
On Clinton’s Speech on Internet freedom: Press Release | Huffington Post Blog
What Secretary Clinton can do: Read more.
“New Technology demands new thinking about how companies and governments can each work to protect freedom”USA Today
Read about what Congress has done for Internet Freedom and Human Rights