Understanding the three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Protect, Respect, Remedy

What are the three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles?

• A. Protect, Intervene, Compensate
• B. Protect, Respect, Remedy
• C. Prevent, Respect, Redress
• D. Protect, Report, Remedy

Answer: (B)

The three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are indeed Protect, Respect, and Remedy. This framework was developed to clarify the obligations of states and the responsibilities of businesses regarding human rights. The first pillar, Protect, emphasizes the duty of states to protect human rights by ensuring that laws and policies are in place to prevent human rights violations. This includes taking appropriate measures to ensure that the business sector does not infringe on the rights of individuals. The second pillar, Respect, outlines the responsibility of businesses to respect human rights. This means that companies should not engage in activities that might lead to human rights abuses and should conduct due diligence to identify, prevent, and mitigate potential impacts on human rights stemming from their operations. The third pillar, Remedy, focuses on the need for both states and businesses to ensure accountability and access to remedy for victims of human rights abuses. This can involve judicial and non-judicial mechanisms to provide redress for individuals affected by business activities that lead to human rights violations. Each of these pillars is essential in fostering a business environment that upholds human rights, ensuring that there are mechanisms in place for protection, respect, and accountability. This framework is widely regarded as a comprehensive approach to address human rights issues in

Pillars You Can Trust: Protect, Respect, Remedy in the UN Guiding Principles

If you’ve ever tried to balance a business and ethics brief at the same time, you know this isn’t a small task. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (the UNGPs) provide a clear map. They rest on three sturdy pillars: Protect, Respect, Remedy. Think of them as a tripod for responsible behavior—each leg supports the whole structure. When one wobbles, the others suffer. In practice, this trio guides how governments frame laws, how companies design policies, and how communities seek redress when things go wrong.

Let me walk you through each pillar, with real-world clarity and a touch of everyday logic. We’ll connect the dots to GRI standards and the kind of reporting and due diligence that organizations actually use, not just theoretical chatter.

Pillar 1: Protect — The State’s Duty, The Foundation of Safety

Here’s the thing: protecting human rights isn’t just a nice idea. It’s a duty governments bear to keep people safe from abuses, including those that happen behind the scenes in business supply chains. The “Protect” pillar asks, What laws, policies, and institutions do we need to prevent violations before they occur?

In practical terms, this means robust legal frameworks, clear enforcement, and proactive governance. Governments might require safety standards in factories, nondiscrimination protections in hiring, or environmental safeguards that prevent communities from bearing disproportionate harms. When those protections exist, business activity has guardrails. For example, a state may set clear rules on safe working hours, transparent wage practices, or pollution controls. If a company operates in that space, it’s not just about compliance; it’s about contributing to a climate where rights are less likely to be trampled.

For sustainability reporting, Protect translates into a landscape of risk signals. You’ll see disclosures about the legal and policy context, and how a company’s operations align with or influence public policy. It’s not enough to say, “We comply with local laws.” The question is: Are the laws strong enough? Are there gaps that could cause harm? A thoughtful report often shows how a company supports public policy that strengthens human rights protections—without picking sides in political debates, but by reinforcing a baseline of safety and fairness.

Pillar 2: Respect — The Corporate Duty, The Everyday Standard

This is the pillar that most people intuitively associate with corporate responsibility: businesses must respect human rights. Respecting doesn’t mean doing a few good deeds now and then; it means integrating human rights into governance, strategy, operations, and culture. The core idea is straightforward: companies should avoid causing or contributing to human rights harms and should address adverse impacts that are connected to their activities or products.

What does this look like on the ground? It starts with due diligence: mapping where rights could be affected, prioritizing those risks, and taking steps to prevent or minimize harm. It means building policies that ban forced labor, child exploitation, or unsafe working conditions, and then training managers and frontline teams to spot issues before they escalate. It means engaging with workers, communities, suppliers, and other stakeholders to understand real-world impacts—not just what’s written in a policy manual.

A practical framing for the GRI reader is to treat Respect as a living program. It’s not enough to publish a policy; you need evidence of action. That could be supplier audits, remediation plans for affected workers, or changes in procurement practices that reduce risk. It also involves transparency: communicating where risks exist, what you’re doing to address them, and how you measure progress. In reporting, this appears as due diligence processes, risk assessments, and evidence of concrete steps taken to prevent or mitigate harms.

And a quick digression you might find comforting: technology complicates Respect in new ways—data privacy in digital services, surveillance concerns in the gig economy, or algorithmic biases in hiring platforms. These aren’t stray topics; they’re part of human rights impacts that software and platforms can carry. A thoughtful company will acknowledge these issues, outline how they’re managed, and show what’s changing to protect people.

Pillar 3: Remedy — Accountability, Redress, The Path Back Home

If a rights violation occurs, Remedy is the safety net. It’s the recognition that victims deserve access to remedy, and it requires both states and businesses to provide or enable this access. Remedy isn’t a single fix; it’s a system. It includes judicial avenues, but also non-judicial mechanisms that are accessible, trustworthy, timely, and fair.

In practice, Remedy shows up in several ways. A company might set up confidential grievance channels for workers, communities, or customers. It could offer remediation plans—restoring lost wages, repairing environmental damage, or providing meaningful remedies for harmed communities. The state’s role here includes supporting efficient courts or independent tribunals. Importantly, Remedy isn’t about liability alone; it’s about restoring rights and preventing recurrence.

From a reporting standpoint, Remedy guidelines push you to disclose the existence and effectiveness of grievance mechanisms, the timeliness of responses, the outcomes of resolution processes, and lessons learned to prevent repetition. Readers want to know: Do affected people have a clear route to voice concerns? Are responses timely and fair? Is there a mechanism to verify that harms won’t recur?

The three pillars in dialogue: how they relate to each other

The UNGPs aren’t a checklist; they’re an integrated framework. Protect creates the environment in which rights can be safeguarded. Respect puts responsibilities on businesses to operate with awareness of those rights and to take concrete steps to prevent harm. Remedy ensures that when harms occur, there are accessible lanes to repair the damage and learn from it.

When you look at a company’s sustainability report through this lens, you’ll notice a natural flow: policy and governance details under Protect; due diligence results and risk mitigation under Respect; grievance mechanisms and remediation outcomes under Remedy. The most credible disclosures are those that connect the dots—showing how the risk assessment translates into action, and how that action translates into real change for people.

A few real-world nuance points to keep in mind

• Supply chains are a focus for Respect. A company can’t pretend its responsibilities end at the factory gate. The UNGPs remind us that companies contribute to, or prevent, rights harms across their value chains. That means supplier codes of conduct, responsible sourcing, and regular supplier engagement aren’t “nice to have” elements; they’re part of the core responsibility.

• Domestic differences matter. Rights protections exist in different legal textures around the world. Respect involves recognizing those differences and avoiding one-size-fits-all approaches that overlook local realities. Your reporting should reflect both universal commitments and context-specific actions.

• Remediation is forward-looking. Remedy isn’t merely about paying a fine or settling a dispute. It’s about repairing harms and changing systems to prevent recurrence. That often requires collaboration with other actors—civil society groups, workers’ representatives, and even regulatory bodies.

• The role of stakeholders in shaping the narrative. When you describe Protect, Respect, and Remedy, you’re not just telling a company story—you’re telling a community story. Stakeholder input adds voice to the report and demonstrates responsiveness.

Bringing it all together in your GRI-ready narrative

For teams shaping sustainability disclosures, these pillars provide a clear backbone. Here are practical takeaways you can weave into reports and dashboards:

• Protect: Map the legal and policy landscape relevant to your operations. Explain how governance structures ensure risk-sensitive decision-making. Include references to how you support public policy that enhances rights protection, without drifting into political advocacy.

• Respect: Document due diligence processes, risk prioritization, and concrete steps taken to prevent harm. Share supplier screening results, policy commitments, training programs, and indicators of progress. Include case studies where risks were identified and mitigated, with honest reflections on lessons learned.

• Remedy: Describe grievance mechanisms—how they work, who can access them, and the typical timelines. Report on remediation outcomes, and outline systemic changes implemented to prevent repetition. If possible, include feedback from stakeholders about remedy effectiveness (while respecting confidentiality).

A few inviting phrases to keep your reader engaged

• Have you ever wondered how a company’s policies translate into real-life protections for workers? The UNGPs show the bridge.

• What if accountability isn’t just about penalties but about communities feeling heard and respected? That’s Remedy in action.

• When a firm maps risks across its supply chain, it’s not nitpicking—it's responsible foresight that saves people from harm.

Closing thought: human stakes behind the framework

The three pillars are more than a model; they’re a daily operating rhythm. Protect reminds us that governance and policy set the stage for safety and dignity. Respect challenges us to build business practices that minimize harm, even when no one is watching. Remedy ensures there’s a clear way back when things go wrong, so the fabric of trust isn’t torn beyond repair.

If you’re looking at a GRI-aligned report, you’ll spot a pattern: governance and policy disclosures under Protect, risk management and due diligence under Respect, and grievance and remediation outcomes under Remedy. The strongest narratives don’t hide problems; they show how you’re addressing them, what you’ve learned, and how you’ll adapt going forward.

A tiny bundle of practical reminders for teams

• Start with a clear map of rights at risk in your operations and supply chain.

• Build or refine a transparent grievance mechanism that’s accessible to affected people.

• Report progress with concrete metrics—numbers people can scrutinize, like time-to-remediation or supplier audit coverage.

• Include stakeholder voices where appropriate to add texture and credibility.

In the end, Protect, Respect, Remedy isn’t a rigid rulebook; it’s a practical compass. It helps businesses act with clarity, fairness, and accountability—and it gives communities a confident route to seek redress when things go wrong. That’s the essence of responsible business in a world where human rights aren’t optional add-ons—they’re the baseline for credible, lasting success.