What are effective strategies for communicating a company's human rights record to the board?

1 Know your audience

Before you prepare your report, you need to understand who your board members are, what they care about, and how they prefer to receive information. Do some research on their backgrounds, interests, and expectations. Find out how familiar they are with human rights issues and standards, and what kind of questions they might have. Tailor your report to their level of knowledge, their priorities, and their preferred format. For example, some board members might prefer a visual presentation with graphs and charts, while others might want a detailed written document with references and sources.

2 Focus on materiality

Materiality is the principle of identifying and prioritizing the most significant human rights risks and impacts for your company and its stakeholders. It helps you to focus on the issues that matter the most, and avoid irrelevant or redundant information. To determine the materiality of your human rights issues, you need to conduct a thorough assessment that involves stakeholder engagement, benchmarking, and gap analysis. You also need to align your materiality assessment with your company's strategy, values, and goals. By presenting your board with a clear and concise materiality matrix, you can show them how your human rights performance relates to your business objectives and stakeholder expectations.

3 Highlight your progress and challenges

Your board wants to see that you are making progress on your human rights commitments, but they also want to know the challenges and difficulties you face. Be honest and transparent about your achievements and shortcomings, and explain how you measure and monitor your performance. Use relevant indicators, such as the United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework, to demonstrate your compliance with international standards and best practices. Show your board how you address the root causes of your human rights issues, and how you prevent, mitigate, and remedy any adverse impacts. Provide examples of good practices and lessons learned from your own or other companies' experiences.

4 Engage in dialogue

Your report should not be a one-way communication, but rather an opportunity for dialogue and feedback. Invite your board to ask questions, share their opinions, and provide their guidance. Listen to their concerns and suggestions, and acknowledge their input. Show them how you incorporate their feedback into your action plans and follow-up activities. Encourage them to take an active role in supporting and promoting your human rights agenda, both internally and externally. By engaging in dialogue, you can build trust and rapport with your board, and foster a culture of human rights within your company.

5 Inspire action and change

Your ultimate goal is to inspire your board to take action and support change on human rights issues. To do that, you need to appeal to their emotions as well as their logic. Use stories, testimonials, and case studies to illustrate the human impact of your human rights performance, and the benefits of improving it. Highlight the opportunities and incentives for your company to advance human rights, such as enhancing your reputation, increasing your competitiveness, and reducing your risks. Show your board how your human rights record contributes to your company's vision, mission, and values. And finally, call them to action by presenting them with clear and feasible recommendations, and asking for their commitment and endorsement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?