Civilnet
Global business leaders sent a public letter to the President of Azerbaijan last month urging the government to uphold human rights for all those in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The letter was signed by Paul Polman (Vice Chair of the United Nations Global Compact and former CEO of Unilever), Sir Richard Branson (Founder of Virgin Group), Jesper Brodin (Chair of the B Team and CEO of IKEA parent Ingka Group) and Arianna Huffington (Founder and CEO of Thrive Global), among others.
By condemning Aliyev’s “recent escalation of violence” and his “continued refusal to allow international observers and sufficient humanitarian assistance into the area” suffering a “preventable humanitarian crisis,” the signatories do what few business leaders have: publicly make an appeal to Aliyev.
The business leaders urge Azerbaijan to uphold its human rights duties under international human rights law and urgently de-escalate tensions. They say doing so is in Azerbaijan’s long-term economic interest.
In a Financial Times article about the letter, Polman notes the “shyness” of business leaders to speak out on human rights. While they were approached, none of the CEOs of large multinationals operating in Azerbaijan, including BP, have signed the letter.
Polman expressed that they hope the letter gives others courage to follow their lead.
Even if they cannot sign the public letter, Polman says, “what we have asked those companies is to bring that matter privately to the government there.”
As the letter notes, human rights are not only a matter of State duty: “Businesses operating in Azerbaijan and around the world have responsibilities under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and are committed to respecting human rights in their operations and business relationships, including their relationships with governments.”
Business leaders have been invited to urgently request their names be added to the letter’s list of signatories.
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