Business & Human Rights

Investors, NGOs Call for “Due Diligence” Laws

April 30, 2019

Institutional investors, prompted and supported by civil society activists, recently sent a statement to lawmakers, UN agencies, and the OECD calling for the global adoption of laws and regulations requiring investors to perform “due diligence” on the environmental, social, and governance risks of their portfolios.
Samsung Faces OECD Complaint over Crane Accident

April 30, 2019

A workers’ initiative and a nongovernmental organization have filed a complaint against Samsung with OECD national contact points in South Korea, France, and Norway alleging the company’s violation of global labor standards in its involvement in and response to a fatal crane accident in South Korea.
US Judge: Officials Must Consider Climate Impacts of Drilling

April 29, 2019

The Guardian reports that a federal US judge has temporarily stopped drilling projects authorized on public land by the Trump Administration because officials failed to take into account the “climate change impacts of oil and gas leasing” in their analysis of the policy change.
Report Examines Corporate BHR Due Diligence Mandates

April 29, 2019

The Global Business Initiative on Human Rights and law firm Clifford Chance have published a briefing examining how corporations should set up “human rights due diligence processes” and reporting mechanisms to ensure their compliance with legal and regulatory requirements shaped by the business and human rights (BHR) agenda.
Law Firm “Peer Learning Process” Seeks BHR Engagement

April 29, 2019

Law firms participating in the Law Firm Business and Human Rights (BHR) Peer Learning Process have published a summary report of their 2018 activities seeking increased engagement among law firms with BHR developments and demonstrating efforts to embed the BHR agenda into firms’ advice and operations.