United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour visited the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square today to promote the United Nations’ new global LGBTI equality standards for business.

In honor of the occasion, the Assistant Secretary-General rung the Opening Bell at Nasdaq.

🔔Thanks for ringing the Opening Bell with us, @UN, @unhumanrights and @free_equal! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/IARsJeoSlO

— Nasdaq Exchange (@NasdaqExchange) January 12, 2018

The United Nations Human Rights Office has launched a new set of global standards aimed at helping business play a larger role in tackling discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people in the workplace and beyond.

They are encouraging all companies, regardless of size, structure, sector, or location to endorse, use, and refer to the five new standards and promote their use by others.

What Do The Standards Say?

At All Times

1. RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS

All businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights — including the rights of LGBTI people — in their operations and business relationships.

In the Workplace

2. ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION

Businesses should ensure that there is no discrimination in their recruitment, employment, working conditions, benefits, respect for privacy, or treatment of harassment.

3. PROVIDE SUPPORT

Businesses are expected to provide a positive, affirmative environment within their organization so that LGBTI employees can work with dignity and without stigma. This standard requires businesses to go beyond equal benefits and take steps to ensure inclusion, including addressing the specific workplace needs of LGBTI people.

In the Marketplace

4. PREVENT OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.

Businesses should ensure that they do not discriminate against LGBTI suppliers or distributors, or against LGBTI customers in accessing the company’s products and/or services. In their business relationships, businesses should also ensure that business partners do not discriminate. Where a business partner discriminates against LGBTI people, businesses should use their leverage to seek to prevent that act of discrimination.

In the Community

5. ACT IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE

Businesses are encouraged to use their leverage to contribute to stopping human rights abuses in the countries in which they operate. In doing so, they should consult closely with local communities and organizations to identify what constructive approaches businesses can take in contexts where legal frameworks and existing practices violate the human rights of LGBTI people.

More than 40 major corporations have so far announced their support for the standards including Accenture, AirBnB, Aviva, The Coca-Cola Company, Deutsche Bank, DHL Group, EY, Google, HP, IKEA Group, Microsoft, SAP, Spotifty, Twitter, Virgin and Vodafone.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commisioner for Human Rights said:

“If we are to achieve faster global progress towards equality for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and intersex people, businesses will not only have to meet their human rights responsibilities, they must become active agents of change.”

One place you can be sure of finding these standards upheld is GCN! Come and work with us!

You can read the full report here.