13th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights

Session co-organized by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with disabilities, the ILO Global Business and Disability Network, the Disability Rights Fund and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)


Brief description of the session: 
Building on last year’s session on Disability Rights as part of Business and Human Rights: Broadening the Discussion, this year’s session has a specific focus on "reasonable accommodation", sometimes referred to as “reasonable adjustments”, as a crucial element for upholding the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of business activities, and for strengthening their inclusion in all aspects of society. Reasonable accommodation aims to provide equal opportunities for employees at the workplace, so their skills and talents can be used to full capacity. By recognizing and accommodating individual needs, businesses create work environments that truly welcome the diversity of their staff and contribute to business activities.
By examining this concept and discussing how to implement reasonable accommodation effectively, the session seeks to identify best practices, challenges, and opportunities that ensure equal enjoyment and exercise of human rights. It aims to develop a better understanding of how to provide reasonable accommodations effectively, as well as to expand the understanding of reasonable accommodation beyond workplace settings, examining its relevance in various contexts such as education, healthcare, and public services.
 
Background to the discussions:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) includes the core concept of "reasonable accommodation". This refers to the necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, which are needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities have the enjoyment or exercise, on an equal basis with others, of all human rights. The denial of reasonable accommodation amounts to discrimination. Providing necessary adjustments in the workplace and beyond is in line with the State duty to protect and the business responsibility to respect under the UNGPs. Governments discharge of their duty to adopt and enforce laws and policies that protect the rights of persons with disabilities and businesses ensure the well-being and dignity of employees with disabilities, and those employees with dependants with disabilities. As such, reasonable accommodation is a critical component of the care and support agenda.
In the context of the business and human rights agenda, reasonable accommodation plays a pivotal role in ensuring that workplaces are inclusive and accessible. As businesses recognize the value of diversity and the economic benefits of an inclusive workforce, understanding the legal and ethical implications of reasonable accommodation becomes essential.

Key objectives of the session:

• Deepen understanding of the linkages between disability rights and the business and human rights agenda, particularly in relation to the business responsibilities and benefits  related to the provision of reasonable accommodations.
• Identification of good practices and innovative approaches to providing reasonable accommodation across different sectors and from various perspectives.
• Strengthen networks among participants to foster ongoing collaboration and shared learning on disability rights and business practices.

• Improve understanding on how insights from persons with disabilities can provide governments and businesses valuable context regarding the real-life implications of reasonable accommodation, ensuring that policies reflect the needs and rights of persons with disabilities.

Background documents:
Promoting diversity and inclusion through workplace adjustments: A practical guide (2016)
This guide aims to explain the concept of reasonable adjustments (“reasonable accommodation”) and provide practical step-by-step guidance on how and when these should be provided in the workplace.

• Download in English: Promoting diversity and inclusion through workplace adjustments: A practical guide
• Download in French: Promouvoir la diversité et l’inclusion grâce à des ajustements sur le lieu de travail: guide pratique
• Download in Spanish: Fomentando la diversidad y la inclusión mediante ajustes en el lugar de trabajo: una guía práctica

CRPD/C/GC/8: General comment No. 8 (2022) on the right of persons with disabilities to work and employment
CRPD/C/GC/6: General comment No.6 on equality and non-discrimination

The Networking Hubs will provide an open platform designed to facilitate exchanges among diverse groups of stakeholders on the Business and Human Rights (BHR) agenda. These spaces are structured to encourage autonomous, participant-led conversations without formal speakers or panelists, fostering a free-flowing exchange of experiences and perspectives. The aim is to create a collaborative peer learning space within stakeholders, where each stakeholder group can directly engage with one another, fostering meaningful dialogue. 

The format of these spaces leverages the networking essence of the Forum, offering a flexible and open environment for different stakeholder groups to share best practices, challenges, and innovative proposals.  

Stakeholder groups: The Networking Hubs will focus on a range of pressing topics, including: 

• Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society Organizations: Addressing challenges and opportunities in advocating for human rights within business contexts. 

No interpretation will be provided. 

Brief description
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) account for 90% of businesses and 50-60% of employment worldwide: they are overwhelmingly present in economic activities around the world. SMEs are vital to economic growth and job creation globally, including when operating in environments where human rights risks are heightened, especially in conflict-affected areas. SMEs frequently lack the enabling legal and policy environment, the incentives, as well as the resources and knowledge to implement effectively the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which may affect their potential of integrating human rights due diligence in their daily operations. This session aims to consider ways to strengthen the capacity of SMEs to address these matters.
It is essential for SMEs to gain awareness about their responsibilities under the UNGPs and build capacities. In addition, the introduction of new regulations with global reach, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and national human rights due diligence requirements in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, present SMEs with new challenges and expectations. These new mandatory requirements expect governments to provide support and guidance to SMEs and businesses to devise collaborative approaches.
This session will aim to empower SMEs with the knowledge and tools necessary to incorporate the UNGPs, especially human rights due diligence, into their operations to ensure that they can action better their responsibilities to respect human rights. It also aims to foster sustainable business practices by SMEs and position them as important potential agents for positive transformative local change to reduce adverse human rights impacts from business activities.

Objectives

• Increase awareness and understanding of the importance for SMEs to integrate human rights due diligence into business operations, including for SMEs in conflict-affected areas.
• Assist participants with practical tools and resources to implement human rights due diligence and foster responsible business practices. This would also include guidance on conducting human rights impact assessments, stakeholder engagement, and effective grievance mechanisms.
• Foster stakeholder engagement with SMEs, particularly from supply chain end points, associations, regulators and governments (e.g., through legislation, trade policies, and diplomacy for cross-border cooperation enabling HRDD).
• Explore challenges SMEs face in taking action and highlight best practices of SMEs that have effectively integrated responsible business practices into their business models.
• Share resources available for SMEs, including training programs, online-tools, helpdesks, funding opportunities, and partnerships with civil society.

The newly introduced BHR Informal Dialogues will offer an open, dynamic platform for inclusive and in-depth discussions on critical issues within the Business and Human Rights (BHR) agenda. These sessions are structured to encourage autonomous, participant-led conversations without formal speakers or panelists, fostering a free-flowing exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives. The aim is to create a collaborative space where all participants can directly engage with one another, enabling meaningful dialogue that promotes deeper understanding of key issues.

By encouraging active participation from all participants, the BHR Informal Dialogues seek to ensure that a broad range of voices contribute to shaping the future of business and human rights practices. This format prioritizes diversity of views and backgrounds, creating a space where different stakeholders can share insights, experiences, and best practices in a flexible and open environment.

Topics for Discussion: The BHR Informal Dialogues will focus on a range of pressing topics, including:

• Corporate Influence in the Political and Regulatory Sphere: Investigating the role of corporate lobbying and its impact on human rights legislation, regulation and policies.

This informal and interactive space is open to everyone and is designed to spark collaborative thinking, drive solution-oriented discussions, and contribute to advancing the global BHR agenda.
Each Interactive dialogue will be facilitated by one or two people to ensure effective and inclusive dialogue. The facilitators will guide the discussion, assist in maintaining a balanced conversation, and ensure that all voices are heard. This structure will help both facilitators and participants to ensure a free-flowing exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives.

There will be no interpretation provided.

The Networking Hubs will provide an open platform designed to facilitate exchanges among diverse groups of stakeholders on the Business and Human Rights (BHR) agenda. These spaces are structured to encourage autonomous, participant-led conversations without formal speakers or panelists, fostering a free-flowing exchange of experiences and perspectives. The aim is to create a collaborative peer learning space within stakeholders, where each stakeholder group can directly engage with one another, fostering meaningful dialogue. 

The format of these spaces leverages the networking essence of the Forum, offering a flexible and open environment for different stakeholder groups to share best practices, challenges, and innovative proposals.  

Stakeholder groups: The Networking Hubs will focus on a range of pressing topics, including: 

• Business: Engaging in discussions on corporate responsibility, accountability, and sustainable practices. 

No interpretation will be provided. 

Session co-organized by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights and the Indigenous Caucus 

Interpretation provided in English, Spanish and French.

Brief description of the session: 

Globally, there is rapid increase in the demand for land and its resources. Businesses, including investors, are pursuing large-scale land acquisition for economic projects related to  food, fuel, minerals, renewable energy,  and conservation and more.  However, transparency and participation are often lacking in these acquisition processes, enabled by poor or inexistent accountability mechanisms and legal frameworks to protect the rights holders, in particular Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous Peoples make up more than 6% of the world’s population and hold an estimated 20% of the Earth’s land mass - one-half to one-third of the collectively-held land globally. However, they have formal legal ownership of less than 10% of this land. As a result, their lands are constantly under threat of unfair and forced acquisition for business investments, often leading to  serious abuses  of Indigenous Peoples '  rights  and those of their  defenders.
This session will engage relevant stakeholders in discussing how land acquisitions have been or should  be integrated into businesses human rights due diligence processes across their value chains. It will also explore the types of smart mix of measures that may help governments protect  Indigenous Peoples’ rights in the context of land acquisition, in particular with regard to the requirement to obtain a  Free, Prior and Informed Consent from the concerned Indigenous Peoples. .
Key objectives of the session:
 

• To contextualize the growing trend of large-scale land acquisition for business activities, and their impacts on Indigenous Peoples ' rights.
• To examine  practices and lessons learned regarding  different measures adopted by governments to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the context of large-scale land acquisition.
• To discuss  what kinds of a smart mix of measures could support the Free, Prior and Informed Consent from Indigenous Peoples with regard to land acquisition.
• To discuss emerging practices from businesses, including investors,  to prevent, mitigate and account for adverse impacts of  land acquisitions on Indigenous Peoples rights, including the right of participation and FPIC.

Session co-organized by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, IndustriALL, OECD Watch, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) & German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) & German Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)

Interpretation provided in English, Spanish and French.

Brief description of the session: 
The UNGPs emphasize that access to effective remedy for business-related human rights abuses should be enabled through a remedy ecosystem involving complementary State-based judicial mechanisms, State-based non-judicial grievance mechanisms, and non-State-based grievance mechanisms to ensure the best possible outcomes for rightsholders. Guiding Principle 25 lays out that States must take appropriate steps, through judicial, administrative, legislative and other means to ensure that those affected by business-related impacts have access to effective remedies. Furthermore, Guiding Principle 31 sets out the criteria of effectiveness for non-judicial grievance mechanisms to be effective. A key element of effective remedy is the centrality of rights holders and assurance of victims’ own satisfaction with the remedial mechanism and remedy provided.
This session will discuss different types of grievance mechanisms based on experiences from across regions, including state-based and non-state based mechanisms; those based on binding or non-binding regulations; and enforceable and non-enforceable mechanisms. Panelists and the audience will collectively evaluate whether they facilitate effective remedy for victims and reflect on the core strengths of the various approaches.
The session will identify the practices of remedial mechanisms necessary to ensure effective remedy and accountability for corporate impacts. The session will also consider how various paths to remedy can complement each other to give rights holders choice in obtaining a bouquet of remedies suited to the unique circumstances of their case.  

Key objectives of the session:
Provide examples of different grievance mechanisms and cases of successful and unsuccessful remediation to highlight best and less good practice.
Debate whether a smart mix of measures support an effective remedy for victims.
Discuss how the nature of the mechanisms and of outcomes, including in terms of enforceability enable effective remedies for rights holders.
Identify key objective elements needed to ensure victims can access effective remedies, based on practical cases.

Key questions : 
What barriers to effective remedy hinder access through courts and how can these be overcome, including during development of new judicial paths under due diligence and similar legislation?
What elements of internal or cross-company grievance mechanisms are key to ensure victims access to effective remedies?
What benefits can non-judicial grievance mechanisms bring to facilitate access to effective remedies and upon which conditions?
How should companies’ implementation of remedies be enforced and monitored?
What can states do to overcome power imbalances between companies and vulnerable communities seeking remedies?

Background of the discussion:
Binding measures, such as laws, regulations, and judicial processes, can be essential for establishing a strong foundation for accountability, while accountability can also be established by voluntary measures (or grievance mechanisms) in a dialogue-based approach based on binding foundations, or accompanied with sanctions or a rigorous follow up. Indeed, decisions of NHRI, NCP or internal or cross-company grievance mechanisms can bring about significant outcomes for victims in terms of reparation, with victims at the centre. These voluntary mechanisms can be especially important in contexts where legal systems are slow, judicial mechanisms hardly accessible, giving rights holders alternative routes to remedy.

Key background materials
Enhancing the effectiveness of non-State-based grievance mechanisms, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Enhancing the effectiveness of State-based non-judicial mechanisms, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Enhancing the effectiveness of judicial mechanisms
Report on access to effective remedy for business-related human rights abuses (A/72/162), UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

The newly introduced BHR Informal Dialogues will offer an open, dynamic platform for inclusive and in-depth discussions on critical issues within the Business and Human Rights (BHR) agenda. These sessions are structured to encourage autonomous, participant-led conversations without formal speakers or panelists, fostering a free-flowing exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives. The aim is to create a collaborative space where all participants can directly engage with one another, enabling meaningful dialogue that promotes deeper understanding of key issues.

By encouraging active participation from all participants, the BHR Informal Dialogues seek to ensure that a broad range of voices contribute to shaping the future of business and human rights practices. This format prioritizes diversity of views and backgrounds, creating a space where different stakeholders can share insights, experiences, and best practices in a flexible and open environment.

Topics for Discussion: The BHR Informal Dialogues will focus on a range of pressing topics, including:

• Intergenerational Exchange on BHR: Promoting dialogue between different generations on the evolving BHR landscape and priorities.

This informal and interactive space is open to everyone and is designed to spark collaborative thinking, drive solution-oriented discussions, and contribute to advancing the global BHR agenda.
Each Interactive dialogue will be facilitated by one or two people to ensure effective and inclusive dialogue. The facilitators will guide the discussion, assist in maintaining a balanced conversation, and ensure that all voices are heard. This structure will help both facilitators and participants to ensure a free-flowing exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives.

There will be no interpretation provided.

 
Session organized by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights 
 
Brief description of the session: 

The Working Group on Business and Human Rights will present a report to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025. The report will seek to identify current strategies, policies, and practices, and remaining gaps and challenges to address adverse human rights impacts linked to the procurement and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) systems by States and non-tech businesses.

The report aims to clarify the respective duty and responsibility of States and non-tech businesses to protect and respect human rights, as well as the roles of other relevant stakeholders, including civil society, human rights defenders, academia, trade unions and national human rights institutions, in the context of the evolving landscape of AI procurement and deployment. As the report focuses on the procurement and deployment of AI systems by States and non tech business enterprises, therefore it does not cover issues related States developing and deploying their own AI systems, and related to tech business enterprises developing and deploying AI systems.
It seeks to explore the following items:
how States can further enhance efforts to safeguard human rights when procuring and deploying AI systems;
how non-tech businesses can further incorporate human rights focus in their deployment of AI in their business operations, products and services, including though comprehensive and robust human rights due diligence processes;
what grievance mechanisms exist for rightsholders that have been affected by AI procured by States or businesses, and how they can be strengthened; and
the essential role of human rights defenders to support States and businesses in identifying human rights risks and preventing harm in this context.

Key objectives of the session:

• Identify key issues, actors, practices and trends that should be covered in the Working Group’s report to the Human Rights Council;
• Highlight promising policies, frameworks or regulations at the national, regional and international levels to address the human rights risks linked to the procurement and deployment of AI by States and non tech-businesses;
• Share emerging practices of non-tech business in including human rights impacts related to the procurement and deployment of AI systems in their human rights due diligence;
• Highlight key issues and challenges that are faced by CSOs, human rights defenders and workers in the context of AI systems deployed by States and non-tech businesses;
• Discuss what effective remedies are available for those whose human rights are adversely affected by AI applications used by States and non tech businesses .

Background of the discussion:

• Advancing responsible development and deployment of generative AI, OHCHR ( Btech) project, 2023
• Taxonomy of Human Rights Risks connected to Generative AI, OHCHR (Btech project), 2023
• Mapping report: Human Rights and new and emerging digital technologies, OHCHR, 2024
• Recommendation on the ethics of Artificial intelligence, UNESCO 2021 and its Ethical impact Assessment, 2023
• G7 Toolkit for AI in the public sector, OECD and UNESCO, 2024
• Artificial intelligence and Human Rights, UN Global Compact Germany, 2024
• European Union AI Act, 2023
• The Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law, Council of Europe, 2024

Session co-organized by the Working Group on business and human rights, ILGA World and PGLE


Brief Description of the Session:
LGBTI+ persons are disproportionately affected by business activities, facing discrimination and violence that impact their rights to equality and non-discrimination and lead to compounding violations of other human rights. Discrimination and attacks occur in various forms, including harassment in the workplace, stigmatization on social media, biased representation in advertising, and exclusion in sports. These risks are exacerbated by intersectional discrimination involving factors such as race, ethnicity, disability, age, migratory status, and more. Hostile cultural, social, and legal environments further restrict the corporate respect for human rights of LGBTI+ persons.

This session will explore different measures implemented by States, businesses and other stakeholders to address gaps in protecting and respecting the rights of LGBTI+ persons in the context of business activities. Drawing on the recent report to the General Assembly by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, titled “Protecting and respecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons in the context of business activities: fulfilling obligations and responsibilities under the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”, the session aims to identify effective strategies and share good practices in this field by fostering dialogue among diverse stakeholders.

Key Specific Objectives of the Session:
· Identify the key challenges for the respect of LGBTI+ rights in the context of business activities.
· Discuss the "smart mix of measures" necessary from States to adequately protect the rights of LGBTI+ persons against business abuses, highlighting emerging regulatory initiatives, policies and adjudications at the national, regional, and international levels.
· Exchange on business actions to prevent and redress human rights abuses against LGBTI+ persons in the workplace, marketplace, supply chain and communities where they operate, including when operating in jurisdictions that criminalize consensual same sex relationships.
· Explore how meaningful engagement with LGBTI+ persons, organisations defending LGBTI+ rights, and trade unions can be fostered to enhance the respect of the rights of LGBTI+ persons.
· Promote collaboration among stakeholders, including governments, businesses, civil society, and LGBTI+ persons.

Key Discussion Questions:
1. What are the most pressing challenges faced by LGBTI+ persons in the context of business activities?
2. What measures should States take to include consideration on LGBTI+ persons in NAP, mandatory human rights due diligence and to repel or amend any regulations that would hamper business respect of the rights of LGBTI+ persons?
3. How does policy coherence look like with regards to guaranteeing the rights of all in the context of business activities?
4. How could the UN Standards of Conduct for Business in Tackling Discrimination Against LGBTI People be effectively implemented to guide businesses in progressing beyond merely respecting the rights of their LGBTI employees in countries with established legal protections, to actively promoting and defending these rights in regions where such protections are limited or non-existent?
5. How could businesses address backlashes and legal risks when respecting the rights of LGBTI+ persons in their operations and value chains?
6. How can State-based judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, as well as operational-level grievance mechanisms be strengthened to address rights violations against LGBTI+ persons?
7. What role can stakeholders play in fostering collaboration and sharing good practices to advance LGBTI+ rights in the business sector?

Background reading:
· Protecting and respecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons in the context of business activities: fulfilling obligations and responsibilities under the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights –Working Group report A/79/178
· UN Standards of Conduct for Business Tackling Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, & Intersex People, · Gender Dimensions of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – Working Group report A/HRC/41/43

The Networking Hubs will provide an open platform designed to facilitate exchanges among diverse groups of stakeholders on the Business and Human Rights (BHR) agenda. These spaces are structured to encourage autonomous, participant-led conversations without formal speakers or panelists, fostering a free-flowing exchange of experiences and perspectives. The aim is to create a collaborative peer learning space within stakeholders, where each stakeholder group can directly engage with one another, fostering meaningful dialogue. 

The format of these spaces leverages the networking essence of the Forum, offering a flexible and open environment for different stakeholder groups to share best practices, challenges, and innovative proposals.  

Stakeholder groups: The Networking Hubs will focus on a range of pressing topics, including: 

• Government Representatives: Discussing the role of public policy, regulation, and enforcement in promoting BHR.  

No interpretation will be provided. 

Session co-organized by the Working Group on business and human rights and Ubuntu Development Network.

Interpretation available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic

(Version française ci-jointe)
(Versión en español adjunta) 

Brief description of the session: 
This session aims to assess the role of youth-driven initiatives in bringing about real transformations through a smart mix of business and human rights measures. It will serve as a critical platform for sharing stories and examples of positive change related to business and human rights spearheaded by youth, assessing the effectiveness of these changes, especially for rights-holders, and identifying ongoing challenges. Additionally, the session will address various focused issues such as climate change and gender. Emerging and other systemic issues confronting the youth in the business and human rights agenda will also be discussed, linking the discussion to the overarching theme of transforming commitments into tangible change through youth-driven initiatives.  

Key objectives of the session: 

• Discuss how to empower youth in understanding and actively participating in the global business and human rights discourse by addressing barriers to comprehensive knowledge acquisition and presenting practical opportunities for engagement.  
• Highlight youth perspectives and practices in responsible consumerism, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development, showcasing successful youth-driven business models. 
• Discuss strategies to amplify youth voices and foster collaboration for effective change in responsible business conduct. 

Key discussion questions: 

• As young people, what challenges and opportunities have you faced with regard to advancing the business and human rights agenda, including any barriers to business and human rights knowledge? 
• How have responsible business models and strategies driven by youth helped to foster awareness, engagement, and collaboration in BHR policy development and practice? 
• What strategies can amplify youth voices and participation as levers of effective change in advancing responsible business conduct across different communities, regions, and sectors? 

 
Additional background documents: 

• OHCHR Reports on youth and human rights, including report on youth and the right to work (A/HRC/40/31)  
• OHCHR, Human rights of youth