As shareholders, we need to feel confident that our companies are not complicit in human rights abuses, directly or indirectly, and that they’re not collaborating to effectively quell internet traffic, to harm their own good reputations and to reduce their long-term growth opportunities. As an asset manager that actively engages transnational corporations on issues relevant to long-term sustainable growth, Boston Common supports the foundational principle that business enterprises not only should, but must respect human rights. Boston Common would recommend strengthening the language to convey that at the most basic level acknowledging respect for human rights is an imperative, not an optional “should”. Boston Common’s submission to the UN (PDF)