There is a growing consensus among non-governmental organizations, socially responsible investors and international institutions that corporations should utilize their influence to promote human rights in their operations and in the societies in which they operate. The newly adopted United Nations Human Rights Norms is one important example of this consensus. Comprehensive policies need to be put in place. Below are suggested elements for an effective human rights policy based on the “Principles for Global Corporate Responsibility” and international human rights documents:

• Adopting policies that incorporate international human rights standards, such as the UN Human Rights Norms, that are based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the core conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
  
  
• Preventing discrimination based on ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, color, language, national or social origin, economic status, religion, political or consciously held beliefs, birth, disabilities, or other status.
  
  
• Promoting community engagement and participation, especially with indigenous communities and leaders.
  
  
• Prohibiting the use of all forms of slave labor, including forced labor, coerced prison labor, child labor, and the use of chattel slaves.
  
  
• Ensuring safe and healthy working conditions.
  
  
• Paying employees a sustainable living wage that would enable them to provide for their basic needs as well as set aside a small amount of money for the future.
  
  
• Enabling employees to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and collective bargaining without discrimination.
  
  
• Guaranteeing that any security arrangements made by corporations protect human rights and uphold international standards for law enforcement.
  
  
• Establishing means by which to monitor the corporation’s and their suppliers’ compliance with codes of conduct and international human rights standards through involvement with local human rights, religious and labor organizations.
  
  
• Laying out human rights criteria for country selection and withdrawal.
  
  
• Explicating ways in which corporate influence can influence the status of human rights in a particular country for the better.

After adopting human rights policies, the next step is to develop ways to measure and monitor these policies. Further steps include the establishment of a board committee on human rights with a human rights officer located in each country where the company operates, as well as the implementation of training and education for all personnel and major suppliers on its human rights policy.