Summary

The Guiding Principles on sanctions, business and human rights were developed to establish guidelines and benchmarks for States, international, universal, and regional organizations and businesses to ensure the promotion, protection and respect for human rights and to fulfill obligations under international law in the sanctions’ environment, to eliminate and/or minimize over-compliance with unilateral sanctions in accordance with para. 27 of the Human Rights Council resolution 55/7. The Guiding Principles also apply to businesses where businesses are practically compelled to comply with unilateral coercive measures by States or regional organizations. The Guiding Principles are accompanied with the Commentary that aims to provide a factual and legal framework for every provision of the principles.

The Guiding Principles also set forth the minimum standards of human rights precaution and protection in the course of the implementation and enforcement of UN Security Council sanctions.

The Guiding Principles set out principles and rules that businesses must adopt in their compliance policy, which shall not violate internationally recognized human rights and shall in no way interfere in the delivery of essential goods, including medicines and food, as well as on critical infrastructure, the environment, and on other related services.