Background
The Humanist Committee on Human Rights (HOM) is a Dutch independent human rights organisation. The human rights and business project of HOM has assisted the Danish Institute of Human Rights in developing the Human Rights Compliance Assessment (HRCA). Several multinational enterprises contributed to the development of the tools. Since 2003 HOM has been working with the tools in the context of the Netherlands and Europe. HOM advices and trains multinationals, small and medium enterprises and NGO's on issues relating to Human Rights and business and the HRCA tools.

The Human Rights Compliance Assessment is a tool, which can be used by companies but also by NGO's, labour and other organisations, in order to assess compliance of companies with international human rights norms and principles. The tool offers suggestions on how to strengthen performance on rights and proposes ways of dealing with social, cultural, legal and political barriers. In the project we will primarily work with the Quick Check, which contains 10% of the questions of the HRCA. Additionally, a Country Risk Analysis (CRA) report on South Africa has been drafted, which provides an insight into possible human rights risk when investing or operating in a particular country. See http://www.humanrightsbusiness.org.

The DIHR-toolkit

• HRCA- Human Rights Compliance Assessment: web based programme comprising of 350 questions and 1000 indicaters
• Quick Check: comprises 10% of all the questions of the HRCA
• CRA- Country Risk Assessments: Analysis of human rights risks for companies that want to/ are operating in a specific country. Within the project a CRA on South Africa has been developed.
• CSR-Compass: guidelines and practical examples for the development of policy and control systems in regard to contractors and subcontractors.

Project
In 2006, HOM has started a project, which will assist organisations in South Africa to enhance their capacity in dealing with human rights issues as part of Corporate Social Responsibility. More specifically, the project aims to:

• Train organisations to use the Human Rights and Business tools;
• Use and adjust the tools to the local circumstances and needs;
• Raise awareness of the tools and its appliance to companies;
• Raise awareness about human rights and business among both civil society and the private sector.

The project will run until the end of 2008.

Activities

• Introduction meeting March 2006: The first meeting with the organisations that are interested in participating in the project took place late March in Johannesburg. The organisations present were: the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship, the Association for Rural Advancement, the Bench Marks Foundation of Southern Africa for Corporate Social Responsibility, the Black Sash, the Centre for Corporate Citizenship (University of South Africa), the Federation of Unions of South Africa, Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa, the Khulumani Support Group, Lawyers for Human Rights, the Legal Resources Centre, the Treatment Action Campaign. In addition HOM has spoken with National Business Integrity and Business Unity in South Africa, who would be interested to become resource organisations to the project.
• Three round table meetings; There will be 3 round table meetings in the project (in October 2006, 2007 and 2008). During these round tables organisations that are involved in the project are brought together. The round tables facilitate amongst others training on human rights and business, the HRCA tools and networking.
• Multistakeholder Conference(s); there will be one multistakeholder conference on human rights and business in South Africa 2007 and possibly a follow-up conference in 2008.
• Establishment of a focal point: One of the representatives of the local organisations will function as a focal point depending on the neutrality, ability and willingness of the organisation (from January 2007 onwards). At the end of this year the focal point will be established. The focal point will distribute relevant information to the organisations participating in the network. These organisations can also consult the focal point on issues relating to corporate human rights responsibilities and strategies. Furthermore, the focal point will promote the use of the tool by companies, and other stakeholders through presentations, lobby, dialogue and advice etc. HOM and the focal point will have regular contact about substantive issues as well as procedural and logistical aspects of the project.
• Use and promotion of the tools: The organisations participating in the project will (each in their own way) apply the tools. One of the aims of the project is also to promote the tools and the issue of human rights among companies.
• South Africa Specific HRCA: On the basis of the experiences of the project organisations and the comments and suggestions made during the Round Table meeting(s), an South Africa Specific HRCA will be developed in the beginning of 2007. The tool will be road tested by a number of South Africa based companies

Content Round Table 16 and 17 October 2006:
On 16 and 17 October 2006 HOM organised the first Round Table meeting of the project. The venue of the meeting was the South African Human Rights Commission in Johannesburg.

The first day was open to both project organisations and resource organisations, and facilitated sessions on different aspect of Human rights and business in the context of South Africa. Amongst others:

1. Opening by Mr. Jody Kollapen (Chairperson of the SAHRC)
2. Introduction to the work and activities on human rights and business of the organisations present
3. Introduction to corporate human rights responsibilities including responsibilities within the supply chain, possible human rights violations. Combined with ways in which project organisations deal with the issue
4. Introduction to HRCA (including CRA and CSR Compass) as a tool to implement human rights within a corporate management system.
5. Comparison to other tools, presentation by two project organisations
6. Case studies: presentation of the results of the application of the quick check by two project organisations
7. Sessions facilitating thinking about:
   • Strategies towards companies (How to get buy-in from companies?)
     • Business case
     • Management strategies (where and how can human rights be implemented within the company)
     • Business perspective
   • Use of HRCA Tools and other tools in the context of SA

The second day focused on the organisational aspects of the project and was open only to two representatives of the project organisations. It facilitated discussion and agreement on a number of issues, such as the selection of the focal point; the content of the conference and Round Table in 2007; development of the South Africa Specific HRCA.

Planning

• Development of the SA HRCA is scheduled from December 2006-October 2007:
  • December 2006-March 2007: First test, use of quick check and CRA by project organisations together with and on companies
  • 6 March 2007: Meeting on findings and suggestions first test
  • March/April 2007: Development first draft South African HRCA
  • April-July: Road testing first version South African HRCA by companies, project organisations and other actors such as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
  • July-October: Adaptation and finalisation South African HRCA
  • October: launch at multistakeholder conference in Johannesburg.
• Focal Point: The South African focal point, AICC, will be operational from early 2007.
• Second round table meeting is scheduled for July 2007
• The multistakeholder conference is scheduled for October 2007

Which organisations are involved in the project?

Resource organisations: Have a link to the network and the focal point Participate in (parts of) Round tables and the conference(s) Give feedback on the tools and important project documents/activities Receive updates on project activities

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) National Business Integrity (NBI) UNISA Centre for Corporate Citizenship (CCC) UN Global Compact South African National NGO Coalition (SANGOCO) Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) Legal Resource Centre (LRC) Black Sash South African Human Rights (SAHRC) Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) The Institute for Democracy in South African (IDASA)

Project organisations: Participate in all the project activities, e.g. the Round Tables, other network meetings and the conference(s) Being part of and taking part in a network of varied organisations involved with business and human rights, Use of the tools: project organisations get full access to the South African HRCA and the CRA Give feedback on the tools Promote the tools Use of the focal point Sign an MoU with HOM

Africa Institute for Corporate Citizenship (AICC ) Bench Marks Foundation of Southern Africa (BeFSA ) Fair Trade and Tourism in South Africa (FTTSA) Khulumani Support Group Association For Rural Advancement (AFRA) UCT - Environmental Monitoring Unit

The African Institute for Corporate Citizenship (AICC) has recently started to function as the focal point of the Human Rights and Business Project South Africa. The focal point has as it core tasks:

• Facilitating networking and exchange of information regarding the project, the HRCA tools and the issue of human rights and business in general
• Organising meetings (such as Round Table meetings and Conference)
• Contact point for organisations and companies regarding the project, the HRCA tools and the issue of human rights and business in general

You can approach AICC at any time in relation to the project, the tools or other human rights and business related issues. AICC's details are Tel: 011 643 6604 and Fax: 011 643 6918. In this regard, please note that while Mr. Paul Kapelus (AICC CEO: paul@aiccafrica.org) provides oversight in respect of the project, the focal point officers at AICC responsible for this project are: Tagbo Agbazue tagbo@aiccafrica.org; and Yoliswa Mawela yoliswa@aiccafrica.org