Developer:

The aim of this article is to bridge the legitimacy gap between ineffective voluntary mechanisms and prospective, compulsory regimes by presenting a Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) model in the overseas hydro carbon industry.

Part 1 provides background of the case study, namely the billion dollar Yadana Pipeline Project in Burma. The relationship between human rights and private extractive industries is analysed, describing the need for human rights concepts. Part 2 assesses  the existing mechanisms and their limitiations, such as voluntary codes of conduct. Part 3 provides basic history, principles and processes of environmental and social impact assessment with a view towards developing a model for an HRIA. Part 4 presents HRIA and proposes a model HRIA that can be used to incorporate human rights into decision making. This model is based on guiding principles, which are also rooted in the work of Humanist Committee on Human Rights (HOM), the HRIA 8-step approach. The seven important principles are, public involvement, impact equity analysis, parameter setting, HRIA internalisation, competent practitioners, data integrity and transparency. Part 5 applies this model to a case study. The article concludes by providing general comments and specific recommendations for creating a viable HRIA regime.

Bibliographic Details

Author: Maassarani, Tarek; Drakos, Margo; Pajkowska, Joanna

Publisher: 2007, Cornell International Law Journal

Thematic Areas

Human Rights & Business

Subject Areas

Case Study

HRIA in General

Online Source(s)

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Language	Format	Source Title
English	PDF document	Extracting Corporate Responsibility: Towards a Human Rights Impact Assessment