This year's UN Forum on Business and Human Rights marked over a decade of normative development in business and human rights standards, aligning with the UNGPs. The event aimed to examine the real changes that have taken place in the application of these standards.
The three days of dialogue featured discussions on various critical topics, including climate change, just transition, protection of Indigenous Peoples rights and due diligence in the technology sector. Stressed throughout the forum was the importance of both governments and businesses to properly implement international human rights standards such as the UNGPs and OECD Guidelines, and for policymakers to ensure coherence between these standards and developing legislation on responsible business conduct.
OECD Watch attended the forum and had the opportunity to re-connect with our members who attended - many of whom organised sessions on important areas of work. These included sessions exploring the legal and ethical aspects of corporate restructuring and its implications for the right to remedy; and the impact of the energy transition on Indigenous Peoples rights and the importance of human rights in a just transition. Other sessions focused on the finance sector's role in providing remedies for affected communities; and the lack of recognition of Indigenous Peoples rights in the African region where environmental and human rights defenders are particularly vulnerable to attacks.
