UNDP, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, November 2021

In November 2020, the UNDP Istanbul and Bangkok Regional Hubs and the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights convened the first Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to promote a vigorous dialogue on BHR in the region. Over three days, the virtual Forum brought together over 850 participants and viewers from civil society, private sector, governments, NHRIs, academia, labor and international organizations working on business and human rights in the ECIS region and beyond. The discussions contributed to raising awareness of business and human rights and promoting the UNGPs in the region. The Forum also aimed to evaluate the main achievements, opportunities and remaining challenges to implementing the BHR agenda. It provided inputs on the practices, gaps, and challenges necessary for scaling up the implementation of the UNGPs in the next decade. 

Following the first edition’s success, the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub and the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights convened the 2nd UN Forum on Business and Human Rights on 11-12 November 2021…

Recordings

Day 1: November 11

• Introduction to UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• Opening Plenary: Business and Human Rights Agenda in 2021: Global Trends
• Setting the Scene: Regional BHR Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
• The State Duty to Protect Human Rights in a Business Context in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• The Onset of Mandatory Human Rights due Diligence in the EU and its Member States: The Implications for Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• What Mandatory Human Rights due Diligence will Mean for You: A Discussion with Businesses

Day 2: November 12

• Access to Remedy and Shrinking Civic Space
• The Impact of Extractive Industries on the Environment and Human Rights
• Persistent Discrimination and Inequality in Business Practices in the Region
• Role of Trade Unions in Due Diligence and Remediation of Adverse Human Rights Impacts
• Business and Human rights in Conflict-Affected Areas
• Closure of the Forum