The aim of this reader is to help practitioners to deepen their knowledge about human rights in the natural resources context 3 Why human rights matter Background reader January 2013 What does this background reader cover? The reader is the companion piece to Part 1 – Guidance on “How to” and has six main sections: 1. What are human rights? This section explains human rights and their international framework, including the respective roles and responsibilities of government and business. 2. Business and human rights. This section outlines the United Nations’ “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework and Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the corporate responsibility to respect, and the concept of human rights due diligence. 3. Human rights in Communities work. This section deals specifically with the role of human rights in communities work and discusses key areas where natural resources companies and human rights interface. 4. Human rights in a country context. This section discusses the challenges relating to human rights at a country-level and provides an overview of factors that shape local human rights situations where natural resources companies operate. 5. Human rights and Indigenous peoples. This section provides an overview of Indigenous peoples’ rights as they relate to the natural resources sector. 6. Reference standards and resources. This section contains a bibliography of reference standards and resources for practitioners interested in further exploring the field of human rig