Shift is the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

It was June 2011 and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights had just been unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council. Our founders, Caroline Rees and Rachel Davis, had spent over five years working on the development of the Guiding Principles as part of the team supporting their author, John Ruggie, then the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Business and Human Rights. This was a big day and a major step forward for the business and human rights agenda.

With the era of their development at a successful conclusion, the focus turned to the Guiding Principles' implementation. Shift was founded as a non-profit organization just days after the endorsement of the Guiding Principles at the UN to help deliver on their promise. Our mission is to put the Guiding Principles into practice in order to support greater respect for the human rights of all people affected by business. Since day one of our existence, our team of experts has worked with a huge range of organizations and individuals to make that vision a reality.