Human Rights Responsibilities of Multi-National Enterprises Working in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector in Cuba
Companies, including foreign companies, operating in the tourism and hospitality sector in Cuba have the responsibility to respect the human rights of workers. This includes the duty to set up policies and due diligence processes to assess the risk of labour exploitation in their supply chains, to identify exploitation cases, and to take steps to ensure access to remedy for those workers whose rights may have been abused. States where those companies are domiciled also have obligations to prevent and punish human rights abuses and protect victims, and Cuba must also comply with its international obligations.
This BIICL research project provides an analysis of the obligations of companies as well as States in this context. The analysis is based on the international legal framework, including ILO Conventions, human rights treaties, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, as well as on recent regional developments (e.g. proposed EU directive on human rights due diligence) and domestic legislation (e.g. French Duty of Vigilance, Modern Slavery Act).
Building on that legal framework, the project explores the particularities of the Cuban context and draws on consultation with businesses and other key stakeholders to develop a set of recommendations for States and businesses to better comply with their obligations.