BHR

Resigning Official: UN Must Confront Companies on BHR

March 23, 2016

In her letter of resignation, former member of the UN Working Group on business and human rights ("BHR") issues Margaret Jungk called for the UN to do more to pressure businesses directly on fulfilling the BHR agenda, including through "missions" to and hearings on companies' BHR records.
Group Hosts Meeting on HRIAs in Tourism

March 21, 2016

A group called Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism recently hosted a meeting with business representatives in Berlin to emphasize the importance of human rights impact assessments ("HRIAs") in the tourism industry to comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Australian Law Council Pushes BHR Promotion

March 17, 2016

The Law Council of Australia has published a background paper calling on industries across the country, in particular the Australian legal profession, to "raise awareness of and encourage compliance with" the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR").
Paper Points out Extraterritorial BHR Jurisdiction Problems

March 17, 2016

A paper from the International Organisation of Employers argues that extraterritorial jurisdiction for courts in developed countries "is not a quick fix" for remedying business and human rights ("BHR") violations and calls instead for UN action seeking to strengthen national judicial systems in the developing world.
LSE Project Releases BHR Guide on Investment Policymaking

March 10, 2016

The London School of Economics ("LSE") Investment & Human Rights Project has published a guide for policymakers on how to regulate investments in a way that furthers fulfillment of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR").
International Court Finds Government BHR Violation

March 09, 2016

Chris Esdaile of the law firm Leigh Day writes that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has found that Suriname violated the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR") by not requiring a mining company to perform a "human rights impact assessment" regarding the rights of indigenous people affected by its operations in the country.
CoE Pushes Government Implementation of UNGPs

March 09, 2016

The Council of Europe ("CoE") Committee of Ministers has issued a recommendation for CoE members on implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("UNGPs"), including access to judicial remedy for alleged human rights violations, and on compiling a list of "best practices" for furthering the UNGPs.
Report Examines Swedish BHR Compliance in Development

March 09, 2016

A report from the Swedish nongovernmental organization EBA reviews the Government of Sweden's implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("BHR") in encouraging public cooperation with private industry in providing development aid.
Telecom Company Creates Tool to Assess Supply Chains

March 02, 2016

As pressure rises for corporations to scrutinize their supply chains to ensure they comply with the business and human rights ("BHR") agenda, telecommunications company BT has released a "Better Future Supplier Forum’s Sustainability Assessor tool" to help companies compare their supply-chain reviews with "best practices" advanced by BHR activists.
Ruggie: UNGPs Must Come Before Social Development Action

February 24, 2016

In a letter to the new Global Commission on Business and Sustainable Development, John Ruggie, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("UNGPs"), warns that business action to further the UN's "sustainable development" agenda must not come at the expense of his UNGPs.