ICANN org is currently undertaking an internal Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) to map our internal policies and procedures to their impacts on human rights. We will be using best practices, such as those outlined in relevant international human rights covenants and declarations, as benchmarks. This is the first time we have engaged in such an exercise, and it marks an important point in our evolution, as it will help examine and improve global operations.
This organizational HRIA will focus on four key areas: human resources, procurement, event planning, and the implications of running worldwide offices. The scope does not include an analysis of the multistakeholder community's policy development process. The assessment will provide ICANN org with a prioritized list of risks, opportunities, and impacts. Once finalized, we will assess the recommendations made and determine implementation priorities, while taking into account available resources. This will allow us to make improvements consistent with our mission and bylaws, as well as principles applicable to non-profit organizations as they relate to the human rights impacts of their operations.
We selected an independent third-party consultant firm, Löning-Human Rights & Responsible Business, based in Berlin, Germany, to perform the HRIA and deliver a final report, tentatively scheduled for late August 2018. The project is currently in the data collection phase. The below image presents the general timeline for the project:
We will continue to engage in discussions with the community on this topic and provide updates as new information becomes available.
