UK government partners implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights across government departments
Published 27 May 2020
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The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) cover wide-ranging issues. Officials across a number of departments work together to give effect to them. The following list includes the departments involved, and how to contact them.
See also general information on your rights and the law.
1. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) jointly leads the Government’s National Action Plan with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The 2 Departments co-ordinate to ensure coherence across government policy, which the UN Principles encourages. The FCDO is responsible for engaging internationally to promote adherence to the UN Guiding Principles. The FCDO does this by encouraging other countries to draw up their own national action plans to fulfil their duties to protect human rights and ensure remedy to victims of abuses within their borders. The FCDO is also responsible for lobbying foreign states through Ministerial contacts and our overseas diplomatic network.
Between 2014 and 2020, the Department for International Development was responsible for the £30.3 million Responsible Accountable Transparent Enterprise (RATE) programme. The programme sought to improve the safety and well-being of poor women and men affected by business in developing and middle-income countries. It had a focus on the UNGPs, championing the rights of workers throughout global supply chains. For example, it funded the Ethical Trading Initiative who embedded the principles of the UNGPs throughout their membership, through resources including their Human Rights Due Diligence Framework. This framework to help companies understand and act on the human rights risks in their operations and supply chains. RATE also supported Shift to run 19 human rights workshops to 200+ companies across 10 countries, helping them to undertake meaningful human rights risk assessments, especially those in high-risk sectors. As a result of RATE support, workers are more aware of their rights at work ranging from their safety, wages and social insurance around the world.
Contact: ModernSlaveryUnit@fcdo.gov.uk
2. Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy
The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) jointly leads the Government’s National Action Plan with the FCDO. BEIS is responsible for corporate responsibility and governance, including the provisions in the Companies Act requiring listed companies to report on material human rights impacts. The Department is also responsible for policy about employment and the labour market, which is relevant for some human rights.
Contact: BHR@beis.gov.uk
3. Home Office
The Home Office is responsible for implementing the Modern Slavery Act, passed in 2015. The ‘Transparency in Supply Chains’ provision in the Act applies to organisations which carry on a business, or part of a business, in the UK, supply goods or services, and have a turnover of £36 million or more. These organisations must publish an annual Modern Slavery Statement setting out the steps they have taken to identify and address modern slavery in their supply chains. The statements must be signed off by a director and approved by the board.
The Home Office has published online guidance to provide advice on the requirements of the Act, good practice, and links to further resources for businesses. Organisations interested in receiving tools and resources to support effective reporting under the Act can sign up to the contact database for modern slavery reporting.
The Home Office also works closely with Cabinet Office and other governmental departments to reduce the risk of modern slavery in public sector supply chains. As part of this work, the Home Office has developed the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool to support public bodies in assessing their supply base for modern slavery risks and provide tailored recommendations to their suppliers. See ‘Cabinet Office’ below for further guidance developed to help public sector organisations identify and address risks in their supply base.
Contact: ModernSlaveryStatements@homeoffice.gov.uk
4. Department for International Trade
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is responsible for operating the UK’s National Contact Point for the OECD Multi-national enterprises. The OECD multi-national guidelines cover a range of issues including human rights, environment, employment, and supply chain management. The Contact Point raises awareness of the OECD guidelines with businesses, trade unions, and non-governmental organisations. It also implements the OECD guidelines’ complaint mechanism, a non-judicial form of remedy for interested parties to make a complaint about any company that they consider is breaching the OECD guidelines.
Contact: UK.NCP@trade.gov.uk
5. Crown Commercial Service
The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is the UK’s largest public buying organisation and is an executive agency sponsored by the Cabinet Office. It therefore works closely with the Cabinet Office and is a strong supporter of public procurement policy, including in the key areas of social value, combatting modern slavery, and prompt payment. CCS has established appropriate governance, and risk management policies and processes, in order to identify and manage risks effectively, taking action where necessary.
5.1 Cabinet Office (Procurement Policy Team)
Cabinet Office lead on domestic commercial and procurement policy for central government, operating in the Government Commercial Function. This involves setting the standards which define how all central government bodies should conduct their commercial activities, including measures to tackle:
- modern slavery in supply chains
- corruption
- late and unfair payment practices in the public sector
As part of its collaboration with Home Office and Crown Commercial Service, Cabinet Office has produced new procurement guidance to help Government departments identify and avoid the risk of modern slavery in their supply chains. The guidance advocates a proportionate, risk-based approach to identifying and tackling modern slavery risks, setting out specific measures to be adopted at each stage of the commercial life-cycle, from pre-procurement to contract management. It also sets out how existing contracts can be risk assessed and suggests measures to manage the risks identified.
Contact: info@crowncommercial.gov.uk
6. UK Export Finance
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is committed to high standards of environmental, social, and human rights (ESHR) risk management. UKEF follows the 2012 OECD Common Approaches for Officially Supported Export Credits and Environmental and Social Due Diligence (Common Approaches). This informs how export credit agencies, such as UKEF, should address potential ESHR issues. The Common Approaches were revised in April 2016, to provide greater clarity on how OECD Export Credit Agencies consider human rights.
UKEF has a specialist ESHR advisory team that reviews the ESHR impact of projects before UKEF takes a decision on support. They review projects with potential ESHR risks and impacts against international environmental and social benchmark standards, such as those of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group (IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability).
As of April 2016, UKEF adopted the Equator Principles, a global risk management framework adopted by financial institutions, including some export credit agencies, for determining, assessing and managing ESHR risks in projects. The Equator Principles support responsible risk decision making on project related financing.
Contact: ChiefExecutiveOffice@ukexportfinance.gov.uk
7. Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. It works to protect and advance the principles of justice. Its vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.
Contact the Ministry of Justice