business and
human rights

OVERVIEW

In 2023, the UNDP Global Business and Human Rights (B+HR) Initiative expanded to 39 countries in Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean with support from the European Union (EU), Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden. Through the initiative, UNDP assisted governments, businesses, civil society organizations (CSOs), trade unions, national human rights institutions, environmental and human rights defenders, media and others in implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

ADVANCING BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS: GLOBAL PROGRESS

In 2023, UNDP expanded its work on business and human rights (B+HR) in three regions, launching five new projects in Djibouti, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia and Zambia, while bolstering efforts in Asia, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

A key achievement of UNDP’s B+HR work is the organization of regional, multi-stakeholder forums that foster exchange, peer-learning and collaboration to advance human rights-centered business practices. For example, the 2nd African B+HR Forum brought together over 450 participants from more than 45 African countries to take stock of the implementation of the UNGPs across the continent.

The first Caribbean Business and Human Rights Dialogue drew over 200 participants from eight countries. It focused on regional challenges and opportunities in labor rights, environmental protection and community engagement, charting a course to scale up programming, national expertise and networks in the region. Similar forums in Asia-Pacific and South Asia remained pivotal in driving regional momentum on B+HR.

UNDP’s technical assistance to governments helped lead to the adoption of national action plans on B+HR (NAPs) in Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam. UNDP also supported NAP drafting in three countries and facilitated their implementation and decentralization in seven countries.  

In 2023, UNDP enhanced assistance to businesses in conducting human rights due diligence (HRDD), including through the B+HR Academy. Within UNDP’s training and guidance for businesses, emphasis was placed on conflict-affected contexts and corporate respect for the right to a healthy environment.

To broaden the reach of the Guide on Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence (hHRDD) for Business in Conflict-Affected Contexts, UNDP developed a global training package and advocated for the guide’s inclusion in the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Additionally, UNDP contributed to the expansion of the Global Community of Practice on Business and Conflict by serving on its Advisory Group and convening its expert meetings.

To assist businesses in conducting HRDD in the context of the triple planetary crisis, UNDP drafted a Practical Tool on HRDD and the Environment. The practical tool was informed by consultations with over 200 stakeholders and insights from over 80 businesses. UNDP also co-organized the first Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia (CSERA) Conference, convening over 300 participants to discuss business respect for the right to a healthy environment, where it also provided training on decarbonization and biodiversity risk mitigation strategies.

UNDP conducted trainings to strengthen bottom-up approaches – including for national human rights institutions from ten countries in Asia, journalists from across South Asia, and youth from across Asia.

These trainings aimed to raise awareness and enhance capacities to hold governments and businesses accountable for implementing the UNGPs. The youth training was guided by behavioral science research on youth and responsible consumption.

To ensure that global disclosure guidelines and recommendations for businesses are aligned with the UNGPs, UNDP contributed to the industry-led Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures and the Working Group for the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-Related Financial Disclosures, including by channeling country- and community-level insights.

Lessons learned

Efforts in 2023 highlighted the importance of strengthening bottom-up approaches across regions. Moreover, additional support is needed to assist the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, national human rights institutions, civil society, and others in implementing Pillar 3 of the UNGPs on “access to remedy”.

Looking forward

UNDP will continue to convene regional multi-stakeholder forums on B+HR, including an inaugural dialogue in the Arab States region. UNDP will also explore new programming in areas such as modern slavery, human trafficking, the finance sector’s implementation of the UNGPs, unintended consequences of the EU CSDDD and other B+HR-related legislation, and industry-specific and thematic deep-dives on corporate respect for the right to a healthy environment.

SUPPORTING RESPONSIBLE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS WITH SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN

Since the launch of a partnership on B+HR between UNDP and the Government of Japan in March 2022, significant progress has been made in promoting responsible supply chains and strengthening human rights standards in the project’s 17 target countries. Over 1,700 businesses have undergone training on establishing more responsible supply chains, and advances have been made in 13 countries towards developing policies to implement the UNGPs.

The B+HR Academy, a flagship of the partnership, offers a three-part guidance service supporting Japanese businesses and their partners in implementing human rights due diligence (HRDD) in their operations and supply chains. This comprehensive service includes HRDD training and individual guidance sessions, informed by context assessments that pinpoint salient human rights risks in each target country.

In 2023 alone, UNDP trained over 1,300 businesses through the B+HR Academy, with tailored guidance sessions provided to nearly 160 businesses keen on deepening their efforts to address human rights risks within their operations and supply chains. As a result, businesses have committed to implementing positive change, including aligning corporate policies with international human rights standards, adopting and implementing human rights policies, conducting ongoing HRDD and establishing mechanisms to ensure access to remedy for human rights abuses.

To advance B+HR across the supply chains of Japanese businesses, the partnership also engaged businesses based in Japan, with over 120 participating in the B+HR Academy. With increasing interest among senior executives of leading Japanese businesses, UNDP also organized a roundtable for Chief Executive Officers (CEO) to foster collaboration and exchange among businesses demonstrating a strong commitment to human rights and HRDD.

The partnership’s focus on supporting governments in promoting human rights-centered business practices yielded significant results in 2023. For example, the project supported Nepal in developing its first NAP, which was adopted in December 2023. Lao PDR and Tunisia obtained official commitments from their governments to develop NAPs, while the project supported NAP development and consultations in Ghana, Kyrgyzstan and Mexico. In Peru and Pakistan, the project supported government partners in decentralizing their NAPs and establishing mechanisms to monitor progress. These achievements signal rising interest from governments and progress in creating a level playing field for businesses committed to addressing and minimizing human rights abuses in their operations and supply chains.

The project not only strengthened the capacities of governments and businesses, but also enriched the knowledge base in target countries. This included the development of 18 country context assessments and five national baseline assessments, which serve as critical foundations for informed policy action. Furthermore, important resources were translated to improve accessibility.

Lessons learned

Partnerships played a crucial role in the success of the project. Collaborating with Japanese actors, business associations and chambers of commerce and industry was vital in engaging with businesses and encouraging their participation in the B+HR Academy.

Looking forward

Efforts in 2023 showcased significant progress in promoting human rights-centered business practices globally, providing a strong foundation for continued efforts in the coming years.
In 2024, the project will continue to support progress on B+HR and the global drive for responsible supply chains through a third phase of the project. This new phase will introduce programming in Brazil, Cambodia and India, and continue to provide technical support to advance government efforts to promote B+HR in Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal.