This set of indicators from the International Service for Human Rights is designed to provide companies – together with their business partners and investors – with guidance on the responsibility of business to respect the rights of human rights defenders and to support civic freedoms. The indicators provide an accountability tool for HRDs, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, workers and trade unions to track company compliance with and implementation of essential policy commitments and implementation of necessary operational practices.

Guidance on Respecting the rights of Human Rights Defenders 2023 The first sector-wide guidance, this publication encourages Voluntary Principles Initiative (VPI) members to integrate policies and procedures designed to protect Human Rights Defenders into their company management systems, including their risk assessments, risk mitigation measures, remedies, and stakeholder engagement.

This report by the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises unpacks for States and business the normative and practical implications of the UNGPs in relation to protecting and respecting the vital work of human rights defenders. The guidance outlines how, under the UNGPs, businesses should develop policies respecting the rights of human rights defenders including zero-tolerance for attacks on HRDs.”

This tracker by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre documents publicly available policy commitments in support of HRDs, based on assessments by the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB). It includes companies that have policy commitments to not tolerate or contribute to attacks against HRDs, expect their business relationships to do the same, and actively engage with HRDs to create enabling environments.

Unilever's publication outlines its principles supporting human rights defenders and provides implementation guidance. It details steps for stakeholder mapping, risk identification, preventive actions, decision-making on adverse impacts, supporting defenders, and ensuring remedies. The guidance extends to business partners, emphasizing frameworks and standards to uphold civic freedoms and human rights.

Drafted by rights holders at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, the Geneva Declaration provides recommendations for states, companies, and investors, to address the key drivers of attacks and killings of environmental human rights defenders including the development of human rights due diligence policies and procedures.

This document presents recommendations on minimum requirements for the development of Zero Tolerance policies, building upon discussions and documents produced by the Zero Tolerance Initiative that are the result of contributions from human rights defenders, Indigenous leaders and civil society organizations.​

This paper details how companies should respond to the growing number of threats facing human rights defenders and offers six key recommendations. It offers a definition of human rights defenders, an introduction to the threats they face and an overview of the existing normative framework for the protection of defenders

This guidance encourages companies to act in support of civic freedoms and human rights defenders. Based on 90 interviews and 12 ‘spotlights’ it explains the normative framework, the business case & the moral choice when shared civil society space is under pressure, threat or attack.