About the event

In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which have strengthened its position as the authoritative global framework on business and human rights (BHR) and provide a fundamental basis for governments and businesses to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, implementation of the UNGPs in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECIS) region remains uneven. The numerous crises in the region further complicate the effective implementation of the Guidelines. The current situation imposes additional responsibilities on both authorities and companies to comply with internationally recognized human rights standards and corresponding constitutional guarantees in times of conflict. The UNDP scoping study on the state of implementation of the UNGPs on business and human rights in Europe and Central Asia, which will be presented during the event, addresses some of these challenges and seeks to identify current trends and key developments in the region. One of the main issues in this context is the responsibility of companies to conduct heightened human rights due diligence (hHRDD) in times of crisis. 

The 3rd UN Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights in Eastern Europe and Central Asia will take place on 10-11 November 2022 in Istanbul (in a hybrid format). The event is organized by UNDP, the UN Working Group on BHR and other partners. This is the annual UN meeting which follows the 1st and 2nd Regional Forums on Business and Human Rights held in 2020 and 2021 and seeks to serve as the ECIS BHR regional platform that allows exchanges among the ECIS countries about their experiences and challenges in advancing the business and human rights agenda. The platform gathers representatives of national governments, multilaterals, civil society, NHRIs, trade unions, academia, and businesses (of all kinds, state-owned enterprises, extractive industry companies, transnational supply chains and SMEs). 

The 3rd UN Regional Forum will discuss the key challenges to the implementation of the UNGPs in the region, with a focus on the obstacles arising from the crises. These will include the development of laws and policies, the introduction and implementation of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) by businesses, and the role of the State as an economic actor in crisis decision-making. In addition, it will address key regional trends, challenges and opportunities for the business and human rights agenda in the ECIS region, with particular attention to the implications brought by conflicts and other crises, including the war in Ukraine on the political, economic, and human rights situation in the region; upcoming EU's directive on HRDD, human rights protection in extractive industries, the role of trade unions, persistent discrimination and inequalities in business practices, and shrinking civic space for human rights defenders. The event will also explore views on the development of a regional roadmap for scaling up implementation of the UNGPs over the next decade. 

Forum format: The Forum will be held in a hybrid format, with up to 50 persons participating in person and the remainder online on Day 1, 10 November 2022, between 07:00-15:30 Central European Time (CET)/09:00-17:30 Istanbul time (TRT). On Day 2, 11 November 2022, there will be an internal session for UN agencies on strategizing their work on business and human rights in the region (hybrid format) between 07:00-10:00 Central European Time (CET)/09:00-13:00 Istanbul time (TRT). The Forum will be hosted by UNDP and the UNWG in the offices of the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub. The virtual Forum will enable a mix between traditional panel discussions and more interactive sessions to allow the broader participation of all relevant stakeholders from the ECIS region and beyond.