Presentation at the Centro Políticas Públicas of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (26 Mar 2015)
For business and its advisers: no longer sufficient to follow (or know) the domestic law of the country in which you operate. International human rights standards:
- impose obligations on the nation state (incl. through the American Convention on Human Rights and ILO 169); but
- also apply to business, regardless of what national law says; and
- also apply to supply chain partners (eg. financiers, legal advisers).
Businesses are required to (1) have a policy about human rights, (2) – conduct due diligence to know whether your operations impact human rights; and (3) – address/remediate any human rights impacts identified.
These structures are being implemented through various means, which apply to Chile, Chilean companies, and operations in Chile.