On business case for human rights

The author critically examines the ‘business case for human rights’, exploring whether corporate self-interest can drive human rights compliance without binding legal obligations. Using analytical and doctrinal methods, the study reviews interdisciplinary literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR), empirical research and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). Findings show that human rights compliance can enhance profitability through four main mechanisms: reducing operational and reputational risks, building consumer loyalty, improving access to capital and government cooperation, and attracting talent. However, these benefits are often modest, long-term and uneven across sectors. The paper identifies key limitations: consumer awareness gaps, industries insulated from reputational pressure, the attitude–behaviour gap in ethical consumption and the difficulty of measuring actual outcomes. It warns that framing compliance purely as a profit-driven choice undermines human rights’ moral foundation, making them conditional on economic gain. The study concludes that while the business case can support compliance, it cannot replace legal obligations or ethical commitments. Sustainable protection requires a multi-layered approach integrating moral imperatives, market incentives and enforceable regulation.