gained considerable momentum. Due to media and NGO reports of human rights violations by transnational corporations, as well as through the corporate social responsibility movement and its presentation of the potentially positive role of companies to contribute to the realisation of human rights, the traditional concept of the state as the sole bearer of human rights responsibility has increasingly been questioned.
The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights (BIM) seeks to analyse these issues in a number of applied research projects. On a practical level, BIM offers tailor-made consultancy services for companies that are interested in implementing human rights in their daily business activities. The applied research projects of BIM establish a sound basis for our consultancy activities for companies. Equally, the cooperation with businesses provides hands-on information on current issues and problems in the area of human rights & business which would require further research.
BIM cooperates with the following companies: APG, EVN, OMV, Österreichische Kontrollbank.
In recent years, companies have faced ever-growing scrutiny of their human rights conduct. Some of them have been confronted with grave human rights allegations that led to years of litigation and public campaigns. The remedies for instances of corporate human rights violations have remained insufficient, however.
A coaching for corporations on "business and human rights" is taking place in Konstanz from the 16th to the 17th of April 2013. The coaching helps companies to identify and understand risks and opportunities regarding "business and human rights" and to develop their own approaches and solutions.
Taking part on behalf of the BIM is Karin Lukas who will speak about "remedies".
For further information please follow the link.
"CSR - HR = PR" This formula highlights the relevance of sensible human resource management for a comprehensive CSR strategy. Therefore, CSR and human resources is one of the key topics of the Austrian UN Global Compact network for this year, and it will be the motto of the 1st Global Compact General Meeting on 20 February 2013; featuring a keynote adress by Elaine Cohen (international expert on the subject), and smaller group discussions on certain issue areas including "Human Resources and Human Rights", conducted by Astrid Steinkellner (BIM).
Main goal of this project is to tailor the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ('Ruggie-Guidelines') for the context of Human Trafficking. The guidelines should be implemented in three different sectors: agriculture, construction and the hospitality-sector.
In November 2012 the OeKB was awarded the Austrian Sustainability Reporting Award (ASRA), coming third place in the category of large companies. In its explanation giving the reasons for receiving the award, the jury highlighted that OeKB’s Sustainability 
Report 2011 had put a special focus on the issue of human rights. According to DI Dr.
