Module: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
Section: Sphere of Influence and the Global Compact Principles 		Module 2: Sphere of Influence

  2.1 Sphere of Influence and the Global Compact Principles
  2.2 Establishing Boundaries of Corporate Responsibility
  2.3 The Different Components of a Company’s Sphere of Influence
  2.4 Your Own Company
  2.5 Review of Learning


   
Section: 1
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Sphere of Influence and the UN Global Compact Principles

Sphere of Influence is about where the boundaries of a company’s human rights responsibilities lie.

Sphere of influence offers a means of addressing the following questions:
  • Whose human rights should a business be mainly concerned about?

  • Which human rights should a company pay particular attention to?
The sphere of influence concept implies that the more control, authority or influence a business has over a situation giving rise to human rights abuses (or the means to improve respect for human rights), the greater the business responsibility to act.

Furthermore, the more severe the human rights abuse, the greater the likelihood that the business and its stakeholders will experience negative consequences. Ultimately the closer the company’s relationship is with a group of rights holders (or perpetrators of rights abuse), the greater the need for an immediate business response.

The term sphere of influence has been in use in political discussions for many years. The extension of the term to private sector influence is relatively recent and is described in the linked articles.

The concepts of sphere of influence and complicity (see Module 3) provide the key building blocks for the main human rights element of the UN Global Compact Principles.

The Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption:
  • Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights

  • Principle 2: Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses
These two Global Compact principles are complementary:
  • The first principle deals with direct actions or omissions by the company.

  • The second principle deals with the relationship between a company and human rights abuses committed by governments or armed groups.






   Key links:

Human Rights is it any of your business? (Amnesty UK and IBLF, 2000)

UN Global Compact Principles

Defining Sphere of Influence

The concept of sphere of influence is not a legal one; it is has been developed as a tool for use by individual companies seeking to understand their human rights responsibilities. As a result, it has not been exhaustively defined.

Click here for more information:
Selected Quotes on the Sphere of Influence Concept
Produced by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights