UN-BHR

Swiss Council Considers Corporate Due Diligence Law

February 14, 2019

Juliane Kippenberg of Human Rights Watch explains how the Swiss Council of States, under pressure by nongovernmental organizations, is considering a bill that would impose requirements on Swiss companies to perform human rights due diligence to address negative social impacts of their global supply chains.
NGOs: “Sustainable” Europe Must Include Due Diligence Mandates

February 14, 2019

The European Coalition for Corporate Justice criticizes a European Commission reflection paper on the EU’s efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals for failing to preview policies requiring corporate “human rights due diligence” and easing lawsuits against companies over alleged rights violations.
NGO Calls for Broader Impact of BHR Treaty on Digital Issues

February 14, 2019

The nongovernmental organization Access Now has published an article calling on the intergovernmental panel developing a binding UN treaty on business and human rights (BHR) to tackle a broad range of “digital rights” issues, including through BHR due diligence and reporting requirements.
CoE Publishes Handbook on BHR Rules in Europe

February 11, 2019

The Council of Europe (CoE) recently published a handbook by Claire Methven O’Brien of the nongovernmental organization Danish Institute for Human Rights informing legal practitioners regarding business and human rights (BHR) laws and standards applicable in Europe.
NGOs Call on Finland to Advance UNGPs in EU Bodies

February 06, 2019

A group of nongovernmental organizations has called on the Finnish government to use its time holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council to pursue the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) at the EU level, in particular by imposing “human rights due diligence” requirements on businesses across the bloc.
Article Highlights BHR Impact in Asia

February 05, 2019

Melissa Chong of the organization Corporate Citizenship describes a “rising tide” of corporate human rights due diligence regulations, with a particular focus on supply chains in Asia, and considers the potential global impact of a binding UN treaty on business and human rights (BHR).
NGO Seeks Broad BHR Measures in Australia

February 04, 2019

The Human Rights Law Centre has published a report calling on the Australian government to address alleged overseas human rights violations by Australian corporations by adopting laws strengthening the country’s OECD contact point, requiring companies to perform “human rights due diligence,” and implementing the UN’s business and human rights (BHR) regime.
Lawyers: Blockchain Can Help Companies Comply with UNGPs

January 31, 2019

Attorneys from the law firm Hughes Hubbard explain how blockchain technology could help businesses conform to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by assisting in their efforts to perform “human rights due diligence” to examine the rights impacts of their complex, global supply chains.
UN Working Group Calls for BHR Promotion in Davos

January 31, 2019

The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (BHR) has called on government and business leaders meeting at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos to advance the “sustainable development” agenda by promoting BHR standards and human rights “due diligence” by companies around the world.
NGO Seeks Stronger BHR Reporting from Canadian Mining Companies

January 16, 2019

The nongovernmental organization Shift has produced a report pushing companies in the Canadian mining industry to broaden and strengthen their public reporting on implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR).