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.

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.