The Global Business Initiative on Human Rights (GBI) exists to advance human rights in a business context around the world. The underlying vision is a global community of corporations from all sectors knowing and showing that they respect the dignity and rights of the people they impact and interact with.  From a business perspective this supports an enhanced approach to global leadership and risk management, and can provide access to markets, customers and capital. GBI is led by a core group of 18 major corporations headquartered in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa and North America.

The GBI work plan is organised into two parallel tracks: First, Member Peer Learning creates a safe space for the 18 GBI companies to share practices, challenges and innovations with peers focused on respecting human rights in practice and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. Second, Global Business Outreach focuses on awareness-raising and capacity building for business in diverse regions of the world, particularly in emerging and developing markets.

In the course of delivering its work, GBI seeks to share business experiences publicly, identify challenges and enablers regarding business respect for human rights, and support our partner organisations to be local and global leaders in the Business and Human Rights agenda. Through regular engagement with international organisations (particularly the United Nations) GBI also seeks to support constructive business inputs into the international policy agenda.

The GBI members are supported by a dedicated Secretariat and several expert advisors, between them offering decades of experience and expertise in the field of business and human rights. GBI works in collaboration with the UN Global Compact Office and is supported by the Swiss Government.