IRI and The Association for International Human Rights Reporting Standards (FIHRRST) joined forces by signing an MoU.
FIHRRST is a not-for-profit, non-discriminatory international association dedicated to the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was established by a group of internationally-respected human rights advocates to develop and promote standards by which adherence to human rights principles can be demonstrated.
Please describe why you are keen to support the IRI, and how you believe the IRI will make a significant contribution towards the advancing of human rights on a global scale?
The IRI aims to create the first mainstream reporting framework for Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSR) based on Islamic principles. IRI believes that the ground of CSR is not merely an economic initiative but a moral initiative based on an organization’s aspiration to be a ‘good corporate citizen’. The IRI also aims to help organizations not only to spend profits responsibly, but also to create profits responsibly.
Marzuki Darusman, the Chair of FIHRRST, has been quoted as saying, “As the Chair of FIHRRST, I believe that Islamic principles, beliefs, and values are, in general, in line with internationally recognized human rights.”
Based on that statement and learning that the IRI aims to help organizations to create profits responsibly, FIHRRST seeks to work with the IRI to promote respect for human rights on a global scale through the development and implementation of a reporting framework that includes a requirement for companies to respect human rights.
The implementation of this reporting framework will significantly advance respect for human rights by organizations worldwide considering that the IRI has members from 50+ countries, 17+ industries and 19+ media partners.
What do you see as key human rights issues the IRI will be able to address?
On the basis of reporting CSR activities of corporations desiring to comply with Islamic principles, key human rights and business issues will emerge for effective addressing such as labour rights, discriminatory practices in company operations, rights of communities that live close to the company operations, rights of indigenous people, land acquisition issues, the right to a healthy environment, and customer rights.
Could you say something about the relation between Islamic values and human rights?
Islam requires the highest belief of its own followers as do other religions of their followers. Thus Islamic values and human rights should perhaps not be viewed in regard to their ‘compatibility’, which could imply that one has higher values than the other, but rather whether Islamic values and human rights are ‘in line’ with one another.
In general, Islam has outlined certain fundamental principles that are in line with human rights, among others protection of life (hifz al-nafs); protection of religion (hifz al-dîn); preservation of lineage (hifz al-nasl); protection of property rights (hifz al-mâl); and protection of the mind (hifz al-aql). These principles are also stipulated in international bills of human rights, namely the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Picture: Marzuki Darusman, Chair of FIHRRST, is also the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea. Article original date: On 28 July 2016.
For more information: www.islamicreporting.org
