ABSTRACT
The Amnesty United Kingdom (UK) Business Group started with a clear, if generalised purpose, which was set out in a Statement of Intent in November 1991. Its stated aims were to make the business community in the UK more aware of human rights issues around the world in the belief that corporate management can help to put an end to human rights abuses. The Business Group had created a bridgehead for human rights in the corporate world. Indeed, companies and the human rights non-governmental organisations viewed each other with mutual ignorance, prejudice, suspicion and hostility. The group’s targets were the 50 or 60 major UK-based transnational companies which included some of the biggest in the world. The group comprised people acting in their individual capacity from academe, consultancies, socially responsible investment and accountancy, together with human rights lawyers and Amnesty members retired from business or industry.
