Tackling Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, & Intersex People

Standards of Conduct for Business

The Standards of Conduct summarized below, and set out in more detail later in this paper, offer practical guidance to companies on how to respect and support the rights of LGBTI people in the workplace, marketplace and community. They have been developed by the United Nations Human Rights Office in partnership with the Institute for Human Rights and Business, and build on the outcome of a series of regional consultations held in 2016 and 2017 in Mumbai, New York, Kampala and Brussels. The Standards are designed to support companies in reviewing existing policies and practices — and establishing new ones — to respect and promote the human rights of LGBTI people. The Standards are grounded in existing international human rights law and are in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. They also have a strong empirical foundation, building on many of the good practices that responsible businesses have already adopted. They present measures that companies can and should take to align their policies and practices with existing human rights standards. They recognize the need for a nuanced and differentiated approach based on the diversity of contexts and of individuals making up the LGBTI spectrum. Finally, they are intended to support rights-affirming interactions between companies and a wide range of stakeholders — from staff to customers, suppliers, shareholders, communities, governments, lawmakers, and trade unions — since achieving progress in this area requires the participation of all actors at all levels.

Tools / Guidelines / Training
United Nations [UN]
52 pages
English
Code of Conduct
L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+
Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR]
Human Rights Policy