BHR

NGO Praises Progress of Binding BHR Treaty

March 30, 2017

The coalition Friends of the Earth International has outlined the presentation of a report from the intergovernmental working group tasked with developing a binding UN business and human rights (BHR) treaty and has praised the progress of the BHR treaty effort, which it predicts will culminate in an instrument requiring global protection of "human rights defenders."
FIFA Human Rights Board Holds First Meeting

March 30, 2017

After its first meeting in Switzerland, the International Federation of Association Football's (FIFA) Human Rights Advisory Board, made up of representatives from the UN, unions, nongovernmental organizations, and businesses, issued a statement indicating how it plans to place pressure on FIFA to fulfill the global business and human rights agenda.
IBA Launches BHR Handbook, Training for Lawyers

March 30, 2017

The International Bar Association (IBA) has announced that it will publish an online handbook on implementing the business and human rights (BHR) agenda in the legal profession and a training program through which it will teach attorneys how to advise businesses to prevent BHR violations in their operations.
Activists Call on G20 to Enforce BHR “Due Diligence”

March 30, 2017

Human Rights Watch has published an open letter calling on the German government, as the current president of the Group of 20 (G20) countries, to push for all G20 members to commit to requiring all businesses to perform “due diligence” to ensure the implementation of the business and human rights (BHR) agenda in their global supply chains.
Governments, NGOs Draft BHR Policy for Africa

March 29, 2017

A recent consultation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, of representatives from African governments, the African Union (AU), businesses, academia, and global nongovernmental organizations has led to the drafting of an AU Policy on Business and Human Rights (BHR) that will seek to implement the BHR and environmental agendas across the continent.
UN Group Pushes G20 to Act on BHR in Supply Chains

March 29, 2017

The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (BHR) published an open letter calling on Group of 20 (G20) leaders to address human rights impacts of companies and state-owned enterprises in their complex global supply chains in line with the UN Guiding Principles on BHR and the "sustainable development" agenda.
Report: US Immigration Policy Will Pose BHR Risks

March 27, 2017

A new report by global risk analyst Verisk Maplecroft analyzing threats to business and human rights (BHR) contends that the Trump Administration’s immigration policies could endanger the human rights of undocumented immigrants and will increase the need for strong "human rights due diligence" efforts to ensure BHR-compliant sourcing of products and services.
FIFA Establishes BHR Advisory Panel

March 24, 2017

Under pressure from human rights activists who say it has done little to implement the global business and human rights (BHR) agenda, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has established a panel comprising businesses, NGOs, UN officials, and others to advise the organization on BHR priorities ranging from labor standards to freedom of expression.
Lawyers Examine Expanding 2017 BHR Agenda

March 24, 2017

An update from lawyers at the firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP examines tightening restrictions corporations will likely face in 2017 under the global business and human rights (BHR) agenda, including legal reporting and due diligence requirements, BHR national action plans, and civil society efforts to benchmark corporate BHR progress.
UN Agency Broadens Scope of MNE Declaration

March 22, 2017

The International Labour Organization's recently updated Tripartite Declaration of principles concerning Multinational Enterprises (MNE) and Social Policy includes items from the global business and human rights agenda including corporate due diligence standards and the social right to "decent work."