BHR

UN Body Calls for Australia to Embrace BHR Agenda

July 18, 2017

In a recent report, the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights has urged the Australian government to adopt a national action plan on implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR) and to impose liability on businesses that fail to perform "due diligence" regarding their global BHR impacts.
Letter Calls on EU to Enforce BHR "Due Diligence"

July 14, 2017

An open letter to the European Commission posted on the website of the Business & Human Rights (BHR) Resource Centre calls for the EU to develop a supranational enforcement mechanism requiring businesses in the garment sector to perform "due diligence" regarding human rights impacts in their supply chains in line with the UN Guiding Principles on BHR.
Dutch Official: Companies Must Push Countries on BHR

July 13, 2017

In a recent speech, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lilianne Ploumen touted her government's expansive commitments to furthering the global BHR agenda in its trade policy and called on businesses to go beyond their own supply chains in pushing foreign governments to bolster their BHR policies.
NGO Seeks End to Pervasive Corporate BHR "Impunity"

July 13, 2017

In its effort to spur on national and international policy reforms to strengthen the enforcement of the global business and human rights (BHR) agenda, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has issued its latest Corporate Legal Accountability Annual Briefing, spotlighting what it perceives to be the "impunity" of businesses that avoid accountability for BHR violations.
UN Agents: Sustainability Depends on BHR Action

July 05, 2017

At the annual OECD Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct, members of the UN Working Group on business and human rights (BHR) called on companies to "embed" the global BHR agenda throughout their operations and "value chains" as part of their contributions to the UN's comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals.
UNICEF Publishes Global Guide on Child Rights and Mining

June 29, 2017

As part of its efforts to elaborate on the Children's Rights and Business Principles, a global guide for companies on how to implement international human rights guarantees for children in their operations, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has published a guide specifically focusing on how mining companies must perform "impact assessments" to address their children's rights impacts.
UK Committee Seeks Broad Liability for BHR Abuses

June 21, 2017

Barrister Katherine Tyler describes a recent report from the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights that calls for a new British law creating a criminal offense for the failure by corporations to prevent violations of the business and human rights (BHR) agenda, including those committed by their subsidiaries and in other countries.
UN Group Pushes Canada on BHR Progress

June 07, 2017

Following an official visit to Canada, the UN Working Group on business and human rights (BHR) issues called for the country's government to do more to implement the UN Guiding Principles on BHR, including by performing BHR "impact assessments" and protecting indigenous peoples from the "exploitation of natural resources."
Scotland Promises BHR "Due Diligence" on Trade Deals

June 06, 2017

Amnesty International has welcomed the Scottish government's recent pledge to perform "human rights due diligence" to determine the rights impacts of all future trade agreements with foreign countries and corporations, in line with the demands of the global business and human rights (BHR) agenda.
EU Agency Calls for Enhanced Remedies for BHR Violations

June 02, 2017

At the request of the Council of the EU, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has issued an opinion calling for increased action by the bloc's institutions and its member states on enhancing access to judicial and non-judicial remedies for alleged victims of businesses' violations of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR).