Advance is a PRI-led collaborative stewardship initiative where institutional investors work together to take action on human rights and social issues. Investors use their collective influence with companies and other decision makers to drive positive outcomes for workers, communities and society.

The overall objective of the initiative is to advance human rights and positive outcomes for people through investor stewardship. The initiative primarily seeks change through investors’ use of influence with portfolio companies. The following three expectations are set for engagement focus companies:

• Fully implement the UNGPs –the guardrail of corporate conduct on human rights
• Align their political engagement with their responsibility to respect human rights
• Deepen progress on the most severe human rights issues in their operations and across their value chains

Investors can join the initiative as an Endorser or Participant:

• Endorser: Endorsers are PRI Signatories that publicly endorse the initiative by signing the public investor statement, signalling their support for the objectives of the initiative. Endorsers who outsource their stewardship activities are encouraged to request that their investment managers and engagement service providers with responsibility for engagement apply to take part in the initiative or commit to aligning their own engagements to the objectives of the Initiative. Endorsers do not participate in engagement activities within the initiative and will be listed separately to Participants in public information about the initiative.
• Participant: Participants are investors who engage with companies as part of the initiative. Participants are expected to engage with at least one engagement focus company for the duration of the engagement period. Participants can engage with a company as a “Lead Investor” or a “Collaborating Investor” for specific engagement focus companies. Investors who join the initiative as a Participant will also be listed as Endorsers of the initiative.

This group is only open to participant investors. To sign-up, or for more information on this initiative, including how to become a participant or endorser, please visit our website. For anything else, please contact advance@unpri.org.

Advance disclaimer

Whilst the PRI has exercised its best efforts, it makes no warranties, express or implied, or representations as to the accuracy, reliability and completeness of any information provided on our website.

The Initiative does not require or seek collective decision-making or action with respect to acquiring, holding, disposing and/or voting of securities. Signatories are independent fiduciaries responsible for their own investment and voting decisions. The use of engagement tools and tactics, including the scope of participation in engagements is at the discretion of individual investors. Any decision by Participants to engage in collective decision-making or action with respect to acquiring, holding, disposing and/or voting of securities shall be at their sole discretion and made in their individual capacities and not on behalf of or as part of their activities within the Initiative, the PRI Executives and PRI Signatories.

The Initiative does not act or speak on behalf of Participants. They also do not seek directly or indirectly, either on their own or another’s behalf, the power to act as proxy for a security holder and do not furnish or otherwise request or act on behalf of a person who furnishes or requests, a form of revocation, abstention, consent or authorisation. In addition, the Initiative does not provide investment or voting recommendations.

The Initiative does not provide investment, legal, accounting or tax advice. The Initiative does not necessarily endorse or validate the information contained herein.