Business and Economic Relations Network (BERN)
What is BERN?
The Business and Economic Relations Network comprises of coordinators and volunteers who form business groups or are otherwise engaged in dialogue with companies to encourage them to support and promote human rights in their sphere of influence.
How does BERN work?
BERN encourages companies to write codes of conduct which explicitly recognise the primacy of human rights in their business activities. This can be done by explicitly recognising the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This commitment should run throughout the organisation, and not be restricted to corporate headquarters. It should be operationalised, i.e. the company should draft human rights policies. It should apply to all groups and divisions within the company at all levels, ensuring that the human rights principles are integrated across all functions. And it should be publicly verified or audited periodically. These principles also apply to all the subsidiaries of the companies as well as its associates and partners.
