Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business (PIHRB)

Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business (PIHRB) is an independent, non-profit and impartial think tank offering advanced expertise in Human Rights and Business, labour law and relations, social unrest, stakeholder engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as well as educational and awareness raising programmes.

PIHRB aim is to advance Human Rights and Business/UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) implementation in Poland by contributing through research and activities that influence the everyday practice of all market actors, policy and legislation development as well as educational activities, to improve respect for human rights and sustainable development principles in business context.

Our goals

Convinced that only enhanced and open cooperation and interaction of all actors can result in most effective and fair solutions for all, PIHRB cooperates with all stakeholder groups, to:

Raise awareness and improve business competencies in the area of human rights to help them understand what human rights are and how to respect them in everyday conduct (e.g. presentations at business-oriented events, training, research, publications).

Build capacity of NGOs and Trade Unions to enhance effectiveness of their action in the area of human rights and business (e.g. workshops, research, mailing list, publications, coordination of the CSR Watch Coalition).

Provide support to the public administration in efforts leading to introduction of legislation and policies promoting and supporting responsible business conduct (e.g. contributing to the consultations, research, member of the Group on SD & CSR).

Our activities

PIHRB also undertakes educational and awareness raising activities aimed not only at the above mentioned groups, but also at children, youth and students to ensure that the next generation is sensitized to those issues before entering the market (presentations at conferences, organization of seminars, educational events, projects, publications; cooperation with student volunteers, organization of internships).

1Since 2018 we are also engaged on pro-bono basis in improving legislative framework and developing tools aimed to help identify and prevent forced labour in Poland, as a coordinator of the Working Group on Workers operating in 2018-2022 within Committee on Sustainable Development and CSR, an auxiliary body to the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy and before that, the Minister of Innovation and Development. Currently, we are members of the Working Group on due diligence that aims to advance the implementation of the HRDD into the practice of Polish business enterprises. Before that, we contributed to the work of its predecessors with the Ministry of Economy (2014-2015).

Our representative is also one of the two CSOs members of the Advisory Board of the Polish NCP OECD (since October 2024).

Our current work is partially funded by grants from Sigrid Rausing Trust (2024, 2025), EC