Just Business

“A must-read for anyone wishing to understand how to navigate the choppy and turbulent waters of the UN system and succeed. Just Business is the embodiment of the man who wrote it—sharp, intuitive, honest, pragmatic, witty, and humble—passionate in his resolve and commitment to human rights.” – Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever“By developing the ‘UN Guiding Principles,’ John Ruggie brought thoughtful and principled pragmatism to a topic of decades-long controversy. Just Business is a great guide for anyone taking on the task of reconciling interested and apparently irreconcilable parties and, indeed, for further progress in this field of business and human rights.” – Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, former chairman of Royal Dutch/Shell“Business and human rights challenges became permanently implanted on the global policy agenda twenty years ago. However, there was no universally accepted framework to address or reduce corporate-related human rights harm. John Ruggie took up the challenge to fill that gap and achieved a great deal in a short space of time. It is all too easy when looking at seemingly intractable problems to believe that nothing can be done or that only governments or political leaders can act. Just Business shows us the opposite and underlines how all segments of society must play their part to achieve results that benefit all.” – Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General (1997–2006)“Ruggie … provides a shining example to leaders that apparently insurmountable global issues are not lost causes.” – Publishers Weekly

John Ruggie is the Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights and International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.