Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

SECTION III: Human Rights in Promoting Britain’s Prosperity
Promoting trade is vital for our economy and prosperity. Our commitment to
supporting UK business internationally is entirely consistent with our determination to
hold human rights at the core of our foreign policy. Our approach is to ensure
economic growth, development, human rights and the rule of law are complementary
and mutually reinforcing.
Foreign Secretary William Hague has made clear that the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office (FCO) will devote extra effort to support the British economy,
free trade and sustainable global growth. In a time of austerity, the Government
needs to ensure that our foreign policy supports UK jobs and livelihoods. In a
networked world of rising economies and shifts in power, the traditional means of
influence we have enjoyed in world affairs are eroding. This means that we have to
work even harder as a nation to maintain the position of the UK economy as a home
of investment and business and to build our relationships with emerging powers.
Good business practice, including due diligence in human rights and corporate social
responsibility, can make a positive contribution towards improved awareness and
observance of human rights. When doing business internationally, companies prefer
a stable, secure and corruption-free trading and investment environment that
mitigates against unexpected risk of shock, provides certainty of dispute resolution
and offers physical protection of their capital and intellectual assets. In unstable
environments, UK businesses risk reputational damage, business disruption,
litigation and legal costs. Promoting effective human rights policies – both in country
and for businesses – can, over time, help reduce these risks and promote economic
development. We are determined to do that in a proportionate manner, using a
range of internationally agreed instruments and avoiding unreasonable burdens on
business.
We also recognise that some business can have an adverse impact on human
rights, whether directly or indirectly. This is a particular risk in countries in conflict, or
where the rule of law is weak and the capacity of the host government to hold
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