Summary

In its report, the Working Group examines how the business and human rights agenda, articulated in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and anti-corruption efforts, are interconnected. It examines the good practices that States, businesses and civil society can undertake to address corruption when it has negative impacts on human rights in the context of business-related activity, with a view to preventing such negative impacts and to ensuring access to remedy. It also demonstrates how measures driving responsible business practices in relation to business and human rights and anti-corruption efforts, can reinforce each other to ensure coherent policy.

Learn more about the issue of business, human rights and the anticorruption agendas.

Corruption has devastating impacts worldwide. It causes economic harm and undermines the enjoyment of human rights. The connection between human rights and corruption has long been acknowledged within the United Nations  and beyond.

In its resolution 41/9, the Human Rights Council encouraged its mechanisms to consider the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights. The Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises has thus prepared a report which aims to complement the Council’s work.

The Working Group's report to the 44th session of the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/44/43) considered the connection between the business and human rights and anti-corruption agendas.

Methodology

The Working Group held a session entitled “Corruption: the business and human rights dimension” at the 2019 annual Forum on Business and Human Rights.

View the preliminary concept note.

Call for inputs: English | Français | Español 

During its 25th session, held in Geneva from 3 to 7 February 2020, the Working Group convened, on Thursday, 6 February (15:00-17:30), a multi-stakeholders consultation on “Connecting the business and human rights and anti-corruption agendas”: English | Français | Español

Access the responses to the call for inputs.

Related documents, events and videos

• Video presentation of the report to the 44th session of the Human Rights Council and interactive dialogue: 1 - 2. See the statement as received.
• Press release of 9 July 2020 in English and Español
• Events on 20 and 23 July 2020 to launch the Working Group’s latest report to the Human Rights Council - Connecting the business and human rights and the anti-corruption agendas
• Contribution to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session against Corruption to be held from 2 to 4 June 2021
• Contribution to the draft guidelines on a human rights framework for asset recovery
• Statement at the Human Rights Council intersessional panel discussion on the challenges and good practices in the prevention of corruption, and the impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 February 2022