Understanding how your business affects human rights and using that knowledge to shape appropriate policies and practices is crucial to achieving what should be the goal of all corporations - sustainable growth.

My advice to organizations I work with is always to be proactive rather than simply reactive when it comes to human rights issues. After all, the important process of improving company policies and practices must be carried out without having to be prompted by a labour strike, factory collapse or other crisis.

People say that human rights is a Western construct foisted on others. But that's not true. Equality, dignity, respect and justice are as much an integral part of the Islamic tradition.

The signing of this memorandum of understanding forms an independent professional approach to handle the actual situation of human rights violations in northern Uganda. The situation in northern Uganda seems to be quite unique compared to that of other countries.

There's no way any number of companies will be able to protect human rights through a business model. When things go wrong, people need a [legal] remedy. Right now we don't have that.

Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights.