This benchmark series provides sector-wide risk assessments for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, initiated in 2018. It examines how ICT business models, products, and services intersect with salient human rights issues, using a consistent analytical structure aligned with international human rights standards.

The purpose of the series is to support investor understanding of people-related risks that may translate into financial, regulatory, or reputational impacts. It focuses on risk to affected stakeholders rather than company performance metrics, while recognising areas where human rights risk and business risk converge.

The methodology applies a salience-based approach, identifying human rights issues that are most severe or difficult to remediate within the ICT sector. Each report maps relevant international norms, outlines typical impact pathways, and frames these issues in an investment and governance context. The analysis is qualitative and sector-focused rather than company-specific.

For finance professionals, the series can be used to inform ESG analysis, stewardship priorities, and engagement strategies with ICT companies. It supports integration of social and governance considerations into risk assessment, long-term valuation analysis, and responsible investment decision-making across technology-related portfolios.