A unique program, carefully crafted to support companies that are serious about respecting human rights
Shift’s Business Learning Program supports companies that want to strengthen their human rights approach. Rather than doing the work for them, we help businesses build the internal capacity they need to meet their responsibility to respect human rights. We do so because we believe that true commitment to human rights means being willing to do the heavy lifting to transform processes, structures and mindsets. It requires stepping out of the office and engaging with those who are affected the most. And it means going beyond cosmetic changes and off-the-shelf fixes to put in place coherent, long-lasting solutions.
That is why we’ve designed a unique approach that focuses on supporting companies as they work to identify their most pressing human rights issues, prioritize those that put people at greatest risk and implement enduring solutions to prevent, mitigate and remedy harm.
Participants come from a wide variety of industries – pharmaceutical, food and beverage, energy, apparel, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail, technology, among others. Some are just getting started on their journey. Others have been with us for years, and continue to find value in our partnership as they face new challenges and complexities.
Benefits of the Program
Our promise is to provide frank advice that is principled, supportive and relevant to the reality of each business.
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TAILORED STRATEGIC & OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
Business Learning Program participants work with our Shift experts to design a work plan that prioritizes action in a principled way, while factoring in the specific needs and challenges of the business. The scope of our work with businesses varies widely depending on the challenges that each company faces, but our mission-driven approach is the same.
CROSS-INDUSTRY LEARNING
Participation in a unique, cross-industry network, where companies can safely engage in discussions and share learnings on the challenges they face when implementing the corporate responsibility to respect. Many participants also find opportunities to launch collaborative initiatives with their peers to tackle common challenges.
ACCESS TO OUR FLAGSHIP WORKSHOPS
Every year, Shift hosts two Business Learning Workshops, where companies discuss their challenges, explore solutions and dive into specific business and human rights topics.
One of them is designed to offer participants who are new to business and human rights an introduction to the UN Guiding Principles in practice. The other, co-hosted with the Corporate Responsibility Initiative of the Harvard Kennedy School, is for more experienced participants and takes a deep dive into the application of the UNGPs concepts to specific contexts and challenges.
FULL ACCESS TO ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES
Throughout the year, Business Learning Participants have access to thematic webinars on specific business and human rights issues.
In the coming months, our Business Learning Participants will also gain access to the new Business Learning Portal, a library of resources and tools exclusively available to them.
Criteria for Admission
We are purposely selective about who we work with.
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We like to think of our Business Learning Program as a two-way street. On the one hand, we support companies as they build the capacity and systems that they need. On the other, each engagement that we have is an opportunity to expand our own knowledge and understanding of how the UNGPs are put into action.
That is why we are careful about who we partner with for the long term. We want to make sure that those who join are serious about taking action, they are open to exploring innovative approaches, and that they show potential to make meaningful change happen.
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BOARD-APPROVED CRITERIA
- Evidence of high-level commitment to business and human rights
- Demonstrated organizational capacity to drive the implementation process
- Support for our broader, mission-driven learning approach
- Coherence with human rights principles
As a mission-driven, nonprofit organization, we take pride in choosing to work with those companies that we can learn most from and with which we can have the greatest impact.
FRANCIS WEST, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT
Current Participants
Companies that participate in Shift’s Business Learning Program
- AB InBev (Food and Beverage, joined in 2019)
- ABN AMRO (Banking, joined in 2014)
- Chanel (Luxury, joined in 2019)
- De Beers Group (Jewelry, joined in 2021)
- Equinor (Energy, joined in 2015)
- Ericsson (Technology, joined in 2012)
- Ferrero (Food and Beverage, joined in 2018)
- Gran Tierra Energy (Energy, joined in 2021)
- General Motors (Automotive, joined in 2022)
- HEINEKEN (Food and Beverage, joined in 2015)
- Hitachi (Diversified group, joined in 2012)
- Inditex (Apparel, joined in 2018)
- ING (Banking, joined in 2021)
- Johnson & Johnson (Pharma and FMCG, joined in 2020)
- L’Oréal (Fast-moving Consumer Goods, joined in 2020)
- PepsiCo (Food and Beverage, joined in 2015)
- Procter and Gamble (Fast-moving Consumer Goods, joined in 2017)
- Total (Energy, joined in 2014)
- UPM (Biofore, joined in 2017)
Join the Program
To learn more about Shift’s Business Learning Program and inquire about current availability, contact us at info [at] shiftproject [dot] org.
You can also visit our BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT page to learn more about other ways in which we work with companies and their stakeholders, and our Financial Institutions Practitioners Circle, which focuses on work with banks and export credit agencies.
Visit our CONTACT page to learn more about other ways to connect with Shift.
