The state duty to protect

The first pillar of the Guiding Principles addresses the State duty to protect. Its foundational principles affirm that, under existing international human rights law, States must protect against human rights abuses by private actors, including companies. This means States must prevent, investigate, punish and redress human rights abuses that take place in domestic business operations. They also stipulate that States should set clear expectations that companies domiciled in their territory and/or jurisdiction should respect human rights throughout their operations, that is, in every country and context in which they operate.

Related Subject(s): International Trade and Finance