The Country Risk Assessment is the most comprehensive available report on the human rights risks to business.
As well as in-depth descriptions of legal protections and violation risks in practice,
the report includes detailed recommendations,
topic-specific focal areas and extensive background information on the country in question.
In 10 years of close collaboration with the private sector,
the Human Rights and Business Project has come to realize that for companies,
understanding human rights risks in their local operating environments is the first and most important step in ensuring that their activities are compatible with the interests and needs of all local groups.
The mapping contained in the Country Risk Assessment provides an invaluable guide to ensuring that business operations contribute to development,
especially for vulnerable groups.
CRA reports are designed to provide companies with systematic,
in-depth analysis of sensitive human rights issues in the countries where they operate.
Risk information is accompanied by management recommendations on preventing and mitigating complicity in human rights violations.
Objective
The objective of the CRA is to determine areas where companies are at risk of human rights violations—both direct and indirect—due to ineffective laws or poor practices in the country of operation.
The CRA is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and examines the likelihood of each right being violated by a company actor or on behalf of one.
Each right is rated high,
medium or low risk according to the severity of violations and their likely proximity to companies.
This analysis also incorporates legal and constitutional analyses,
such as national minorities not being recognized by the law.
Risk ratings are followed by a list of recommended due diligence steps for companies to address specific vulnerabilities and improve their performance on the identified risks.
High-risk issues—such as child labour,
forced labour,
discrimination or poor working conditions—are compiled into detailed Focal Areas to assist companies in focusing their management efforts.
CRAs can be used in conjunction with the Human Rights Compliance Assessment to help companies localise and streamline their internal compliance processes.
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