The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) is a left-of-center advocacy group that researches and investigates major international businesses over allegations of human rights abuses against workers. The group was founded in 2002 by Chris Avery, a former Amnesty International executive and human rights lawyer. The organization has offices in London, New York City, Berlin, and Bogota, Colombia. Members of the group’s board are affiliated with several left-of-center organizations including Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Amnesty International, Wespath Investment Management, and Oxfam America. 1 2
Background
The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) was founded in 2002 by Chris Avery, a former head of the research department at Amnesty International. Avery served as the executive director until retiring from BHRRC in 2013 and was succeeded by Phil Bloomer, a London-based advocacy professional who previously had held senior positions at Oxfam Great Britain and Oxfam International. 3
In 2014, BHRRC received a grant from Open Society Foundations’ (OSFs) Executives’ Fund, which directed a total of $2 million to roughly nine organizations meant to “give organization heads with tenure of less than a year the flexibility to implement their own programs.” 4
Activity
The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) claims to research and investigate allegations of human rights abuses against employees of major international business. 5 The group maintains a database of roughly 20,000 companies and alleged abuses as well as any posts or responses from said companies. Specific industries within the list include clothing, textiles, extractive, hotel, and technology companies. 6
Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack against the State of Israel, BHRRC published an article on its website calling Israel’s response to the attacks and the Israel-Hamas war, “Israel’s war on Gaza.” The article also claims, “after decades of occupation, the civilian population of Gaza is facing further collective punishment including military bombardment, constituting clear breaches of international humanitarian law by Israel, following killings and hostage-taking of Israeli civilians by Hamas on 7 October.” 7
References
- “About Us.” The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/about-us/
- “Our Board.” The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/about-us/our-board/
- “Meet the Team.” The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/about-us/meet-the-team/
- “New Nonprofit Leaders to Receive Boost From Open Society.” Open Society Foundations. June 10, 2014. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/newsroom/new-nonprofit-leaders-receive-boost-open-society
- “About Us.” The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/about-us/
- “Companies.” The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/companies/
- “Israel’s war on Gaza.” The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/big-issues/global-spotlight/bhr-israel-palestine/