Activities

The below list is not exhaustive and includes:

• Events organised/convoked by the Working Group
• Statements, articles, interviews by the Working Group and Working Group members
• Events organised by others in which Working Group members participated and/or made formal presentations, to disseminate the Guiding Principles

2024

Open Letter to the International Seabed Authority, 15 March 2024

Statement by the United Nations Working Group encourages European Union Member States to adopt the draft Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, 7 February 2024

2023

Statement - Financial Sector and the European Union Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, 12 July 2023

2022

Working Group on Business and Human Rights Comments at the 8th Session of a Legally Binding Instrument on Business and Human Rights, 24 October 2022

The Working Group on Business and Human Rights and UNDP launch new guide on heightened human rights due diligence for business in conflict-affected contexts, 16 June 2022

Remarks by Anita Ramasastry, Peer-learning event on Second generation of NAPs and effectiveness of a smart mix of voluntary and mandatory human rights due diligence, 07 June 2022

Statement at Third session of the Open-ended intergovernmental working group to elaborate the content of an international regulatory framework, without prejudging the nature thereof, relating to the activities of private military and security companies, 9 May 2022

Statement at the Human Rights Council intersessional panel discussion on the challenges and good practices in the prevention of corruption, and the impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 February 2022

Statement of Mr. Surya Deva, Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights of the Senate of Canada concerning Bill S-211, An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff, 28 March 2022

Remarks of Ms. Anita Ramasastry, Member, “Implementing the 3 pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights EU Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence in Global Value Chains”, hosted by the RBC Working Group of the European Parliament, 2 March 2022

Statement by Ms. Anita Ramasastry, Member, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, UN-EU High-level Policy Dialogue "Protecting the safety of journaists, Media freedom and pluralism in the European Union: challenges and opportunities", 24 February 2022

Statement by Ms. Anita Ramasastry, Member, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, Human Rights Council intersessional panel discussion on the challenges and good practices in the prevention of corruption, and the impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 February 2022

Critical part of the UNGPs 10+ Roadmap: Increasing the protection of human rights defenders in the face of strategic lawsuits against public participation, 4 February 2022

2021

Statement by Mr. Surya Deva, Chairperson, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, High-Level International Investment Agreements Conference 2021, 7th World Investment Forum 2021, 19 October 2021

The Working Group’s statement on its report to the General Assembly on “Human rights-compatible International Investment Agreements” , by Mr. Surya Deva, Chairperson, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, 14 October 2021

Submission by the Working Group to the stocktaking exercise on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 11 October 2021

Information note: the UNGPs and a roadmap for responsible recovery in times of economic crisis

Presentation by Ms Elzbieta Karska, Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights at the first edition of High-Level Annual Venice Conference on the Global State of Human Rights organized by the European Parliament and the Global Campus of Human Rights, 16 July 2021

Oral Statement on the Report of the 2020 Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights by Mr Surya Deva, Chairperson, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises at the 47th session of the Human Rights Council, 7 July 2021

Dante Pesce, Chairperson, UN Working Group, Remarks at Human Rights Council panel on the 10th anniversary of the UNGPs, 29 June 2021

Dante Pesce, Chairperson, UN Working Group, Presentation at Human Rights Council, “UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights at 10: taking stock of the first decade”, 28 June 2021

Statement by Mr Surya Deva, Vice Chair, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights Online side event during the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council “Special Procedures speaking with One Voice: Human Rights Experts Collective Action and Statements”, 22 June 2021

UN Guiding Principles at 10 (June 16 2021): video contributions from UN, government leaders and other stakeholders

The Working Group assesses the first decade of UNGPs implementation, June 2021

Keynote speech by Prof. Surya Deva, Vice Chairperson, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises at a Workshop on “Environment, Human Rights and Business: A framework for addressing environmental protection challenges” organized by the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights, 27 April 2021

Statement by Mr. Surya Deva, Vice Chairperson, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises at the 2nd session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group to elaborate the content of an international regulatory framework, without prejudging the nature thereof, relating to the activities of private military and security companies (PMSCs), 26 April 2021 

Statement by Mr. Surya Deva, Vice Chairperson, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises at The Canadian House of Commons’ Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, 23 March 2021

2020

The WG’s statement on its report to the General Assembly on “Business, human rights and conflict-affected regions: towards heightened action” , 27 October 2020.

The WG’s recommendations regarding the commitment to a proposed EU Directive on human rights and environmental due diligence in 2021, 22 October 2020

The WG’s recommendations to the French Development Agency relating to the key role that development finance institutions must play in ensuring respect for human rights, prior to the finance in common summit , 6 October 2020

Two virtual events on 20 and 23 July 2020 to launch the Working Group’s latest report to the Human Rights Council - Connecting the business and human rights and the anti-corruption agendas

The WG issues the latest report to the Human Rights Council on “Connecting the business and human rights and anti-corruption agendas”

New Working Group project: “Business and human rights: towards a decade of global implementation”

Ensuring that business respects human rights during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond: The relevance of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

Joint public statement on COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Working Group recommends the IFC's Accountability Review to strengthen alignment with the UNGPs on Business and Human Rights

2019

UN experts welcome new study on corporate human rights due diligence

Joint statement on Human Rights Day 2019: Time to act – Protect defenders who speak up against business impact on people and planet

The WG issues the latest report to the General Assembly on “Policy coherence in government action to protect against business-related human rights abuses”

UN Working Group calls on the G20 to act on business and human rights commitments

UN experts send a letter to the UNCITRAL Working Group III on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) Reform, urging systemic changes to the ISDS system

Working Group 22nd session to take place in Geneva (4-8 February 2019)

South Asia Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights due to be held 14-15 March 2019 In New Delhi (India)

Working Group sends open letter to the Government of Bangladesh in support of the 'Bangladesh Accord'

2018

Open letter to the Government of Bangladesh in support of the 'Bangladesh Accord', 17 December 2018

Working Group welcomes mining industry organization requirement for members to respect human rights, 5 December 2018

Working Group 21st session, Geneva (1-5 October 2018)

Call for inputs: Gender lens to the UNGPs

Working Group 20th session to take place in Geneva, 14-18 May 2018

Working Group consultation on corporate human rights due diligence, Geneva, 17 May 2018

Call for inputs: human rights defenders, civic freedoms and business & human rights

Regional Asian consultation on Gender Lens to the UNGPs, Sonepat, India, 20-21 February 2018