Kennedy School’s John Ruggie Named UN Special Representative on Human Rights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2005
John Ruggie, Kirpatrick professor of international affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, was appointed July 28 as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s special representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. He served as U.N. assistant secretary-general and adviser to Annan on strategic planning from 1997-2001.
Ruggie will remain the Frank and Denie Weil Director of the Kennedy School’s Center for Business and Government and continue his professorship. But he will resign his current UN role as special advisor to the Secretary-General on the Global Compact.
The UN Commission for Human Rights called for the creation of the new position and last week the Economic and Social Council endorsed its mandate, which will include identifying and clarifying standards of corporate responsibility and accountability with regards to human rights.
“This is a tremendously challenging assignment,” said Ruggie, “addressing the question of whether multinational firms and other business enterprises should be the direct bearers of international human rights obligations — and, if so, what those standards should be. I look forward to working with the business community, human rights organizations and governments to produce practical results that will advance the aims of all.”