UN-BHR

IBA Outlines Global Obligation to Fund Rights Agenda

December 20, 2017

A report from the International Bar Association's (IBA) Human Rights Institute has published a report exploring states' and the private sector's "obligation to mobilise resources" under international human rights law to fulfill economic, social, and cultural rights and achieve the UN's "sustainable development" agenda.
Lawyers Propose Fund for Accessing BHR Remedies

December 19, 2017

The civil society network Lawyers for Better Business is facilitating a proposal by a group of lawyers to create an Access to Remedy Fund, financed by private entities and individuals, that will seek to build and bolster institutions around the world to provide remedies for alleged victims of violations of the business and human rights (BHR) agenda.
Academics Seek Clarification of BHR "Diligence" Rules

December 19, 2017

Academics Jonathan Bonnitcha and Robert McCorquodale have published an article calling for clarification of the concept of "due diligence" under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR) to reduce the legal uncertainty businesses face when determining the standard of conduct that applies to their operations and those of related actors.
NGO Develops Rules for Global BHR Arbitration

December 18, 2017

In November, the think tank Hague Institute for Global Justice launched a project to create global rules, developed in consultation with businesses and human rights activist groups, under which an international arbitration mechanism would resolve disputes related to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR).
UN Talks Fail to Clarify Scope of BHR Treaty

December 07, 2017

An overview from law firm Hogan Lovells of recent negotiations in Geneva of a proposed UN business and human rights (BHR) treaty describes the proceedings as a contentious series of events "dominated by questions and objections" raising uncertainty about the scope of such a treaty, rather than clarifying its aims and focus.
NGO Launches Activist Investor BHR Platform

December 07, 2017

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility recently launched an initiative called the Investor Alliance for Human Rights that will provide a platform for activist investors to promote corporate implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR).
Study Examines BHR Duties Under ECHR

December 07, 2017

A study from Daniel Augenstein and Lukasz Dziedzic of Tilburg Law School explores various state obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to regulate corporate conduct to prevent violations of the global business and human rights (BHR) agenda.
Forum Examines Proliferation of "Hard" BHR Law

December 06, 2017

An analysis of the recent UN Forum on Business and Human Rights (BHR) in Geneva by two Hogan Lovells attorneys indicates that the proceedings emphasized the "hardening" of previously soft-law BHR responsibilities for corporations and considered the risk that "human rights impact assessments" could heighten the risks of corporate legal liability.
Chile Releases BHR Action Plan

November 30, 2017

The government of Chile has published a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (BHR) that explains how the government will require the private sector to implement the UN Guiding Principles on BHR and contribute to the fulfillment of the social and environmental targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dutch Bank Adopts BHR Impact Assessments

November 30, 2017

Dutch development bank FMO has announced that, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR), it will perform "human rights impact assessments" to determine whether its investment projects threaten to violate the global BHR agenda and report on its human rights performance in its activities.