National action plans on business and human rights

The UN Working Group strongly encourages all States to develop, enact and update periodically a national action plan on business and human rights. Such plans are part of the responsibility of States to disseminate and implement the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Working Group's guidance

In 2016 the Working Group produced a final version of the Guidance on National Action Plans, the result of an open, global, year-long consultative process involving States, companies, civil society, NHRIs and academia. The guidance also builds on the Working Group’s 2014 report to UN General Assembly on national action plans. The Working Group consulted with governments on this theme via a 2014 survey, and it held an online consultation (word | PDF) on substantive elements to be included in a national action plan.

Progress worldwide

The Working Group congratulates the many States have already produced a plan or have taken steps toward doing so. View the status of the development of national action plans by States below.
We invite States wishing to discuss any aspect of the national action plan process to  email us. We would also be pleased to facilitate the sharing of experiences amongst States. Please email us at wg-business@ohchr.org.

States that have produced a national action plan

• UK - launched September 2013, updated May 2016
• The Netherlands - launched December 2013
• Denmark - launched April 2014
• Finland - launched October 2014
• Lithuania - launched February 2015
• Sweden - launched August 2015
• Norway - launched October 2015
• Colombia - launched December 2015
• Switzerland - French | English - launched December 2016, Revised Action Plan 2020-2023 launched January 2020
• Italy - Italian | English - launched December 2016
• USA - launched December 2016
• Germany - launched December 2016
• France – Action plan French | English and Action plan proposals French | English launched April 2017
• Poland - launched May 2017 ; second edition Polish National Action Plan for the implementation of the UNGPS 2021-2024 English
• Spain - English | Spanish - launched July 2017
• Belgium - July 2017
• Chile - July 2017
• Czech Republic - launched October 2017
• Ireland - launched November 2017
• Luxembourg - English | French, National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights 2020-2022, launched 2020 (only available in French)
• Republic of Slovenia - English | Slovenian - launched November 2018
• Kenya - launched June 2019
• Thailand – English | Thai - launched October 2019
• Japan – English | Japanese - launched October 2020
• Uganda - launched August 2021
• Pakistan – launched October 2021

States that have included a ‘Business and Human Rights’ chapter in their Human Rights national action plans

• China - Read the Business and Human Rights Chapter within China’s Human Rights Action Plan of China (2021 - 2025)
• Georgia - Read the Business and Human Rights Chapter within Georgia's Human Rights NAP: English
• South Korea
• México – Read the Business and human Rights Chapter within Mexico’s Human Rights NAP 2020-2024 (only in Spanish)

States that are in the process of developing a national action plan or have committed to developing one

• Argentina
• Australia
• Azerbaijan
• Guatemala
• Greece
• India
• Indonesia
• Jordan
• Latvia
• Liberia
• Malaysia
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Mongolia
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Nicaragua
• Portugal
• Ukraine
• Zambia

States in which either the NHRI or civil society have begun steps in the development of a national action plan

• Ghana
• Kazakhstan
• Nigeria
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• The Philippines

Other resources

The Global National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights website has a resource page that includes a “National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights Toolkit” developed by the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR).

Information on national action plans can also be found on the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre's website.