UN-BHR

Lawyer: EU Should Adopt Class Actions for Rights Victims

January 08, 2018

Christopher Patz of the European Coalition for Corporate Justice writes that the European Commission should expand proposals permitting consumers based in the EU to pursue class-action lawsuits against companies to people around the world claiming corporate violations of human rights and environmental laws.
NGOs Seek Action on Extractives Industry in NAPs

January 05, 2018

The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable and the Due Process of Law Foundation have published global guidance to governments on how to address alleged rights violations committed by the oil, gas, and mining industries in their "National Action Plans" (NAPs) implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
NGOs Launch Website on BHR and "Hard Law"

January 04, 2018

A group of human rights-focused nongovernmental organizations have launched a website called "BHR in Law" that track legal developments related to the global effort to bind corporations to a business and human rights (BHR) regime, "with a focus on mandatory human rights due diligence and parent company liability."
NGOs Update Toolkit on BHR Action Plans

January 04, 2018

The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable and the Danish Institute for Human Rights recently published the 2017 update of their "toolkit" for governments and others on the need for "National Action Plans" for implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR).
Ireland Publishes BHR Action Plan

January 04, 2018

The Irish Government has published a National Plan on Business and Human Rights (BHR) for the years 2017 to 2020 to give effect to the UN Guiding Principles on BHR in Ireland's promotion of "responsible business practice at home and overseas."
Article: BHR Due Diligence Must Consider Broad "Impacts"

January 02, 2018

David Birchall, a Fellow of the Business and Human Rights Journal, writes on the need for corporations to include in their business and human rights (BHR) due-diligence assessments human rights "impacts," such as tax avoidance and high pricing of important products, that do not reach the level of a "violation" of international human rights law.
NGO Seeks Funding for Community-Led BHR Mechanisms

January 02, 2018

Irit Tamir of Oxfam America calls on national governments to provide funding to local communities to participate in existing corporate "grievance mechanisms" or establish their own processes to investigate corporate actions that allegedly violate the business and human rights (BHR) agenda in these communities.
Commentator: Consider Mental Health in BHR Remedies

January 02, 2018

Jo Reyes of the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights calls for companies to perform a comprehensive assessment of the need to include mental-health considerations in their business and human rights (BHR) remedial mechanisms.
Academic: Embed UNGPs in Investment Deals

December 29, 2017

Tara Van Ho of the Aarhus University Department of Law advises countries negotiating international trade agreements to include commitments to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in these deals to facilitate legal claims in international investment tribunals against businesses over alleged human rights violations.
Academic: BHR Remedy Requires Global Regulation

December 28, 2017

Daniel Aguirre of Greenwich University writes that access to remedy for alleged victims of corporate violations of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR) requires "international regulation" in addition to BHR grievance mechanisms launched by businesses operating in countries like Myanmar with poor access to justice.