The Danish Institute for Human Rights has consulted with a range of multinational companies, international institutions, civil society groups and other private-sector development actors to develop the content and presentation of the Country Risk Portal.

As part of this process, DIHR is releasing three Country Risk Briefings for public consultation and further stakeholder engagement.

The briefings describe human rights risks to business in Indonesia, Kenya and South Africa, and offer due diligence recommendations for businesses to prevent and mitigate risk. Briefings identify priority issues for each country, including legal, sectoral and regional risks, and identify likely and reported private-sector violations of human rights.

Test Briefing Indonesia [pdf]

Test Briefing Kenya [pdf]

Test Briefing South Africa [pdf]

The briefings demonstrates the content and methodologies included in the Country Risk Portal, to be launched 1 Dec., 2010, at CountryRiskPortal.org.

DIHR kindly asks all interested stakeholders to fill out the feedback form below, and return it to .

Feedback form [doc]

The Country Risk Portal is a free website that helps private-sector actors identify, assess and address human rights risks in the countries where they have operations or supply chains.

The Country Risk Portal is the first freely available website to present comprehensive, structured and timely country risk information aimed at private-sector compliance with international human rights standards. The Portal combines human rights risk information with concrete risk management recommendations for businesses. This information is designed to guide and empower business, government and civil society actors seeking to address the human rights impact of business in developing countries around the world.

The Human Rights and Business Country Risk Portal:

• Provides free qualitative and quantitative risk information on business-relevant human rights issues in 100+ countries.
• Identifies and assesses the risk of business involvement in human rights abuses, based on a comprehensive analysis of all internationally recognized human rights.
• Offers targeted due diligence recommendations for businesses to prevent and mitigate direct abuses and avoid complicity in human rights violations by third parties.
• Identifies local development priorities and initiatives to help companies target social investments and partnerships and maximise positive impacts on human rights.

The Human Rights and Business Country Risk Portal is envisioned as a five-year project that will engage a wide range of business, civil society and institutional partners.

Throughout 2010, DIHR will consult stakeholders and develop approaches toward the implementation of the full Country Risk Portal. The pilot process includes consultation with local and international stakeholders, concept development and the assessment of user needs with company and civil society actors. All Country Risk Portal pilot materials will be posted online at the end of 2010.

DIHR invites input from all parties relating to the content, administration and design of the Country Risk Portal. DIHR will contact a range of stakeholders throughout 2010 for their input on Portal developments. Contact  with any questions, comments or feedback.

When done sustainably, foreign investment and business operations can be a driving force for education, equality and prosperity in the developing world. Done poorly, however, business can entrench discrimination, degrade resources and exploit vulnerable groups. The basic aim of the Country Risk Portal is to enable all actors to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights in sustainable economic development.

Recent years have seen a growing realization among companies, governments and civil society groups that understanding human rights risks in local operating environments is the first and most important step in ensuring private-sector compliance, good practice and positive impact. A number of actors, including UN special representative John Ruggie, the UN Global Compact and private sector actors themselves have recognized the role of country risk assessment in this process. Country risk mapping provides an invaluable resource for ensuring that business operations contribute to sustainable development.

The Danish Institute for Human Rights has provided country risk assessments for companies for more than 10 years, and has refined its approaches to reflect the dynamic nature of the human rights and business field. The Country Risk Portal aims to broaden these methodologies to a wider audience and purpose, providing private-sector actors, public agencies and civil society organisations with information to identify and engage key human rights challenges in local markets.

Country Risk Portal information is directed at all actors who have a stake in business-sector engagement with international human rights issues around the world. This audience includes companies of all sizes and sectors, as well as civil society groups, international organisations and governments. The Portal is provided online, free of charge, to maximize outreach to small and medium-size businesses, including those companies based in developing countries.

Each Country Risk Briefing includes each of the following modules:

• Human Rights Profile: Overview of country demographic and economic characteristics and general human rights conditions.
• Priority Issues: The most urgent human rights risks for companies, according to human rights impact and company proximity. This module includes descriptions of company connection to human rights violations, as well as due diligence recommendations for preventing and mitigating abuses.
• Legal Analysis: Assessment of the extent to which human rights are protected in formal law at the national level.
• Sector Risk: Human rights risks in major economic sectors, including case studies of reported private-sector abuses.
• High-Risk Regions: Subnational areas that present additional human rights risks to business.
• Proactive Initiatives: Recommendations aimed at helping companies target their social investments and partnerships to maximise positive impacts on human rights.
  

The Human Rights and Business Project has secured funding from the Danish International Development Agency and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to commence the pilot phase of the Country Risk Portal.
The pilot period takes place throughout 2010, and encompasses the following activities:

Country Risk Information
DIHR will create 20 Country Risk Briefings demonstrating Country Risk Portal approaches and methodologies. These will be published online 1 Dec., 2010 at CountryRiskPortal.org.

Stakeholder Consultation
DIHR will conduct three stages of stakeholder consultation in 2010.

Phase 1: Needs assessment
DIHR will assess the need for country risk information and how it is applied in practice by businesses, international organizations, local civil society and governments. Key stakeholders and strategic partners for the project will be identified during this phase.

Phase 2: Content Testing
DIHR has released its first three test briefings (Indonesia, Kenya and South Africa), and will continue to consult with stakeholders throughout 2010. DIHR invites comments on published test briefings from all interested parties.

Phase 3: In-Country Process
DIHR will conduct local stakeholder consultation in Indonesia, Kenya and South Africa in late 2010, with the aim of confirming and extending the country risk information contained in the test briefings.

DIHR invites input from all interested parties relating to the content, establishment and presentation of the Country Risk Portal.

Send all comments and questions to

The Country Risk Portal pilot will be launched at CountryRiskPortal.org on 1 Dec., 2010.