UN-BHR

EU Legislator Pushes for Rules Requiring Corporate Rights Observance

July 09, 2018

Member of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala calls on the European Commission to produce legislation binding EU-based companies to perform due diligence to determine the human rights risks related to their foreign operations and requiring them to provide access to remedies for victims of alleged human rights abuses.
NGO Demands Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence

June 13, 2018

The European Coalition for Corporate Justice has published a report listing the features national lawmakers must include in legislation mandating "comprehensive" corporate human rights due diligence addressing risks of violating "all relevant human rights and environmental standards" throughout global supply chains.
NGO Warns of BHR Impacts of Energy Transition

June 08, 2018

Radhika Shah and Phil Bloomer of the Business & Human Rights Resources Centre write that businesses, investors, and governments must engage in the "just" transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources in a way that respects the business and human rights (BHR) agenda for indigenous groups.
Academics Seek BHR Due Diligence Policies in Belgium

June 08, 2018

Dr. Huib Huyse and Dr. Boris Verbrugge of KU Leuven have issued a review of business and human rights (BHR) initiatives in the Netherlands, Germany, and France to provide input to Belgian nongovernmental organizations regarding how they should advocate for policies forcing Belgian businesses to use due diligence to ensure their supply chains are "sustainable."
NGOs Publish Briefing on BHR Treaty's Structural Issues

June 07, 2018

The nongovernmental organizations Rosa Luxembourg Stiftung and the Global Policy Forum have produced a briefing aimed at guiding negotiators of a binding UN treaty on business and human rights (BHR) how such a document should be formatted, where the relevant institutions should be embedded, and how the text must be drafted.
UN Group Calls for BHR Implementation in Thailand

May 18, 2018

Following an official visit to Thailand, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (BHR) issued a statement calling on the country's government to perform BHR and environmental impact assessments for infrastructure projects and to do more to bolster judicial and non-judicial redress for alleged BHR violations.
US, Mexico, Canada Outline BHR-Compliant World Cup Bid

May 15, 2018

As part of their "United Bid" to host the International Federation of Association Football's (FIFA) 2026 World Cup competition, the US, Mexico, and Canada have published a letter describing how they have tailored their bid to the demands of the business and human rights (BHR) agenda and will make the event the most "environmentally friendly" in history.
NGO Works to Advance UNGPs in Polish Industry

May 15, 2018

A recent publication shows how the Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business is working to develop a broad understanding among the Polish public of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and is pushing the Polish government and businesses to implement the UNGPs in terms of corporate "due diligence" in reviewing and address rights violations.
NGO Guides Extractives Companies on BHR Due Diligence

May 11, 2018

The nongovernmental organization International Alert has published global guidance for oil, gas, and mining companies on how to engage in due diligence to monitor and address potential violations of the business and human rights (BHR) violations in their operations in "conflict-affected settings."
NGOs: Banks Must Recognize Greater Duty on Rights

May 10, 2018

A group of nongovernmental organizations and academics has published a letter calling on the Thun Group of banks to engage in more extensive consultations with activist NGOs and other "stakeholders" with the aim of recognizing a larger role of member banks in redressing human rights violations related to companies and projects these banks finance.