National Action Plans on Business & Human Rights

Outlining Priorities and Actions
NAPs explain how a government will implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, with provisions on government duty to protect, business responsibility to respect, and access to remedy for victims of business-related abuses.  Only six countries in the region have published a NAP: Czechia, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

National Action Plans on Business & Human Rights (NAPs) are documents that outline the priorities and actions a government will take to carry out its commitments and obligations related to business and human rights. NAPs explain how a government will implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, with provisions on government duty to protect, business responsibility to respect, and access to remedy for victims of business-related abuses. 

During the NAP development process, States, national human rights institutions, and/or civil society groups may commission a national baseline assessment. National baseline assessments evaluate the current level of implementation of the UNGPs and other business and human rights instruments within a given country. Baseline assessments identify existing tools and frameworks that support business and human rights, as well as prominent issues and gaps that need to be addressed. Civil society, businesspersons, and other affected individuals can provide valuable information through the baseline assessment. Information from the baseline should then be used to inform the content of the NAP. 

National Action Plans in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Czechia, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Ukraine have published NAPs on business and human rights, and Azerbaijan and Latvia have committed to developing NAPs. No other countries in Eastern Europe & Central Asia have developed NAPs on business and human rights as of yet.

Issue Czechia Georgia Lithuania Poland Slovenia
Children’s Rights Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Corporate Law Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Corruption Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Development Funds No No No No Yes
Environment Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Equality & Nondiscrimination Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Forced Labour Yes No No Yes Yes
Association & Unions Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Gender & Women Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Human Rights Due Diligence Yes No No Yes Yes
Judicial Remedy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Non-Judicial Remedy Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Persons with Disabilities No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Workers’ Rights Yes No No Yes Yes
Migrant Workers Yes Yes No Yes Yes

 

In Serbia, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights commissioned a national baseline assessment intended to further national debate on developing a NAP and implementing the UN Guiding Principles. However, the government has not committed to developing a NAP. 

To read more, visit the Danish Institute for Human Rights’ Global NAPs website.

Pinned Articles

Ukraine: National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

Analysis of Ukraine’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, courtesy of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Slovenia: National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

Analysis of Slovenia’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, courtesy of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Poland: National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

Analysis of Poland’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, courtesy of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Lithuania: National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

Analysis of Lithuania’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, courtesy of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Georgia: National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

Analysis of Georgia’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, courtesy of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Czechia: National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

Analysis of Czechia’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, courtesy of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

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