After a week of intense scrutiny of Brexit arrangements, this Saturday’s observance of Human Rights Day provides a welcome pause to reflect on the role the UK should play on the international stage. This is especially important when we consider how global businesses based in the UK or listed on the London Stock Exchange impact on the world’s poorest people. There are real examples of UK leadership on human rights, from support for the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to the Modern Slavery Act 2015. However, the government must follow through on its commitments and ensure that its leadership in these areas is not jeopardised by falling short elsewhere.

Legal changes have made it harder for communities affected by British companies’ actions overseas to seek justice in the UK. It is also concerning that some government departments have regarded international standards as optional, rather than essential protections to ensure that business operations do not harm society’s most vulnerable.

We must ensure post-Brexit trade deals benefit both businesses and the communities in which they operate. Any trade deals must be analysed as to their impacts on the rights of vulnerable communities overseas and on the environment, and this information must be available to the public. As Pope Francis reminds us, poor communities must not be an “afterthought” in political and economic discussions.

Anne Lindsay

Cafod private sector lead analyst

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