Business & Human Rights

NGO: Corporate Lawyers Need Human Rights Expertise

June 26, 2015

As a growing number of law organizations promote a duty of attorneys to push the global business and human rights ("BHR") agenda, Lise Smit of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law writes that corporate lawyers must develop the knowledge to advise their clients on human rights due diligence.
NHRI Committee Calls for Binding BHR Treaty

June 26, 2015

Finding an escalation in corporate business and human rights ("BHR") violations despite the UN Guiding Principles on BHR, a committee of National Human Rights Institutions ("NHRIs") has supported the development of a legally binding BHR treaty that would apply both to transnational and domestic businesses.
Paper Calls for "Non-National" BHR Enforcement Mechanisms

June 26, 2015

A paper by Nicolás Zambrana Tévar of the Kazakhstan Institute of Management argues that the development of "non-national enforcement mechanisms," such as mediation and arbitration, could be useful in solving business and human rights ("BHR") disputes in the context of transnational businesses.
NCPs: Strengthen Grievance Mechanism Against Businesses

June 24, 2015

At their recent annual meeting, the National Contact Points ("NCPs") for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises called for countries to stiffen penalties against companies that decline to participate in the NCP grievance process and for greater funding to carry out their mandate.
UN Report Calls for BHR Consideration in Development Goals

June 24, 2015

A recent report from the UN Working Group on business and human rights ("BHR") issues has outlined ways in which the UN system can best implement its Guiding Principles on BHR, including in the UN's development of its upcoming "Sustainable Development Goals."