UN-BHR

NGO: Corporate Taxation Addresses Gender Disparities

February 03, 2016

Ana Abelenda of the nongovernmental organization Association for Women's Rights in Development argues that corporate avoidance of taxation aggravates violations of the human rights of women and suggests that a "global tax body" and a binding treaty on business and human rights could help women in developing countries "reclaim" their resources.
NGOs Call on UN Working Group to Investigate Fracking

January 27, 2016

Arguing that the practice of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") to produce natural gas places "virtually all human rights at risk," a group of individuals and nongovernmental organizations calls on the UN Working Group on business and human rights issues to guide governments and companies on the practice.
Ireland's BHR Action Plan Falls Short of Activists' Demands

January 27, 2016

Describing key elements of Ireland's draft business and human rights ("BHR") national action plan, Dr. Shane Darcy of the National University of Ireland Galway emphasizes that the plan contains "little discussion of mandatory requirements" and does not include recommendations from BHR activist groups.
Indonesia Finalizes BHR Action Plan

January 27, 2016

The Jakarta Post reports that Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights has finalized its national action plan to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR") in Indonesian law.
Lawyer Warns of BHR Litigation Risks

January 22, 2016

Warning of litigation risks in the US and beyond related to "hard" and "soft" business and human rights ("BHR") norms, Thomas Player of Eversheds LLP calls for companies to look to domestic and international BHR compliance and reporting standards, including the "authoritative" UN Guiding Principles on BHR.
Observers Call for Lower Barriers for BHR Liability in Italy

January 21, 2016

Business and human rights ("BHR") researcher Marta Bordignon and lawyer Giacomo Maria Cremonesi have published an article calling on Italy to include in its BHR national action plan measures facilitating the filing of lawsuits against corporations for alleged BHR violations and placing the burden on businesses to show they have sufficient BHR measures in place.
UN, Law Firm Report Details BHR Risks for Banks

January 20, 2016

A report from the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative and law firm Foley Hoag LLP contains a legal analysis of challenges banks face in light of the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR"), domestic "hard law" establishing BHR duties and responsibilities, and "soft law" norms seeking to guide corporate conduct.
Editorial: Sports Groups Should Follow FIFA's Path on BHR Principles

January 13, 2016

An editorial in the New Delhi Times asserts that global sporting organizations should follow the example of the International Federation of Association Football ("FIFA") in its demonstration of commitment to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR") by requesting that developer of the Guiding Principles, Professor John Ruggie, develop its global BHR strategy.
Article: UN and National Measures Formalize BHR Regulation

January 06, 2016

Karin Buhmann of Copenhagen Business School writes that the public-law formalization by international organizations and national governments of measures on business and human rights ("BHR"), including the UN Guiding Principles on BHR, must be accompanied by "coherence in public law regulation" to ensure legal certainty and effective BHR regulation.
Colombian NGO Proposes Investment Provisions in NAP

January 06, 2016

The Investment and Human Rights Project ("IHRP") in Colombia has called on the country's government to include provisions in its upcoming national action plan ("NAP") on implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR") that require the formulation of a policy on foreign investment that ensures respect for the BHR agenda.