Session co-organized by the Working Group on business and human rights and the Danish Institute for Human Rights Interpretation in English, Arabic and French
Brief description of the session: This session will consider the issues pertinent to the business and human rights agenda across WEOG States. This includes the development by some States of second, or reviewed, National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights. Due to the significant developments at the EU level during 2024, and the impacts beyond the EU, there will be a special focus on mandatory human rights due diligence and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (Directive 2024/1760 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1760/oj) which entered into force on 25 July 2024.
The session will consider the lessons learned from efforts by governments and regional entities to drive greater policy coherence on the business and human rights agenda through regulation. It will discuss how to scale up the implementation by business enterprises of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. It will examine how to ensure that compliance with legislation by businesses does not become a formulaic “tick the box” exercise. The session will also examine some good practices followed by businesses when undertaking human rights due diligence, for example in contractual provisions in contracts along their value chains and in stakeholder engagement.
Key objectives of the session:
Consider developments within the WEOG region, including the development of revised National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights;
Clarify the key provisions of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and consider how States and businesses are responding;
Consider what new causes of action may arise from the Directive and what remedies might be available; and
Clarify what effectiveness of these pieces of legislation means for the different stakeholders.
Key discussion questions:
What needs to happen in the WEOG region in terms of policy and legislation to further develop the business and human rights agenda? What role is played by National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights in this regard?
What can be learned from the processes followed during the drafting and negotiation of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive?
What factors should all stakeholders consider when contemplating drafting legislation on mandatory human rights due diligence and other regulation relevant to the business and human rights agenda?
member, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
Robert McCorquodale is the Emeritus Professor of International Law and Human Rights, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom and Barrister / mediator at Brick Court Chambers, London, United Kingdom. He has been researching, teaching and advising on business and human rights for... Read More →
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs Switzerland, State Secretary and Director
State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda has been Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) since August 2022. Prior to that, she was Switzerland’s ambassador in Bangkok, Thailand, with additional accreditations to Cambodia and Laos. Until 2019, she held the same... Read More →
Chief Adviser, Human Rights and Business, Danish Institute for Human Rights
Gabrielle Holly is a Chief Adviser in the Business and Human Rights Department of the Danish Institute for Human Rights. She is a business and human rights specialist and an experienced commercial disputes practitioner having practiced over a decade at Magic Circle firms in Australia... Read More →
Project Coordinator, Uganda Consortium on Corporate Accountability
Joseph leads the Business and Human Rights Program at the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights in Uganda. He also coordinates the Uganda Consortium on Corporate Accountability. He has been at the frontline in the development journey of Uganda’s National Action Plan on Business... Read More →
