Center for Business and Human Rights

A new report from the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, "Five Years After Rana Plaza: The Way Forward," expands on its previous research explaining what has made many garment factories in Bangladesh dangerous and offering steps forward for making them safer.

A new study from the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights entitled "Harmful Content: The Role of Internet Platform Companies In Fighting Terrorist Incitement and Politically Motivated Disinformation" examines what Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft need to do to fight terrorist incitement and politically motivated disinformation. Written and published by the Center, the report grows out of discussions among members of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Human Rights, which is co-chaired by Professor Michael Posner, the Center’s director. 

A new report, co-authored by the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business and the Natural Resources Defense Council, proposes an innovative grant program to help protect New York City’s waterways through green infrastructure

In his first four months in office, President Donald Trump has shaken America’s democratic foundations at home and abandoned a powerful bipartisan commitment to human rights. Seemingly forgotten is the legacy of Ronald Reagan, who, in his first Inaugural Address, pledged that America would “be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope” for oppressed populations around the world.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson addressed State Department employees on May 3, delivering a wide-ranging assessment of the state of the world. He offered a glimpse of how he plans to translate President Donald Trump’s “America First” edict into U.S. foreign policy. Tillerson said he believes that an America First foreign policy will prioritize two core U.S. interests: “strengthening our national security and promoting economic prosperity.” In his speech, he juxtaposed these with our “values around freedom, human dignity, the way people are treated.” He made clear “Those are not our policies, they’re values.”

Excerpt from Fast Co.Design -- "Segall and Labowitz spent 18 months compiling their report, published this week by the Center for Business and Human Rights at NYU’s Stern School of Business. They spoke with workers, recruitment agents, contractors, clients, and more. What they uncovered was a startling globe-crossing network in which poor workers actually end up paying to be recruited, and more."

Until recently, sustainable investing was a niche in the broader financial landscape. But today, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are increasingly important to mainstream investors. Large financial firms like Bloomberg, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are expanding their ESG product and service offerings. Going forward, women and millennials are poised to manage a greater share of global wealth, and to do so in a way that aligns with their values about fairness, the environment and human rights. In the face of rising economic inequality and mounting evidence of the negative externalities of business practices, financial firms are under pressure to demonstrate that they can deliver value in today’s global economy in ways that work for people and communities around the world. 

A new study from the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights finds that construction companies operating in the Arabian Gulf are able to recruit millions of low- wage migrant workers without incurring the costs of the recruitment process. Instead, in this highly irregular system, most workers themselves are paying for their own recruitment – and much more – before they depart their home countries. These recruitment “fees” may be equal to or more than a year’s salary – which these low-wage laborers must work to pay back once they begin their construction jobs in the Gulf.

Globally operating businesses routinely face human rights issues. However, very few business schools offer programs or even individual classes examining how businesses should address these concerns most effectively.