The next decade of business and human rights

Background

June 2021 marked the tenth anniversary of the unanimous endorsement by the Human Rights Council of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). A major step forward in efforts to prevent and address business-related human rights abuse, the UNGPs provide a global authoritative framework for State duties and business responsibilities to achieve the vision of "tangible results for affected individuals and communities, and thereby also contributing to a socially sustainable globalization."

As part of its mandate promote the UNGPs, the Working Group on Business and Human Rights launched a project in July 2020 to take stock of implementation of the UNGPs to date and chart a course for action in the decade ahead. Known as the “UNGPs 10+” or “next decade BHR” project, this initiative has been supported by Germany and Switzerland and carried out in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and with the United Nations Development Programme and other partners.

The Working Group’s stocktaking was presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2021, the during the anniversary month of the UNGPs. UN Working Group launches UNGPs 10+ Roadmap for the next decade of business and human rights (29 November, 2021)

UNGPs at 10 – June 2021

• Anniversary page: Key UNWG publications and statements by world leaders and stakeholders
• Media statement: UN human rights standards for business reach 10-year milestone: time to gear up for new decade of action

UNGPs 10+ “stocktaking”: assessing the first decade of implementation

• Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights at 10: taking stock of the first decade (The Working Group's official stocktaking report, available in all UN languages)
• Reader-friendly version of the UNGPs 10+ stocktaking (English | Español) | Executive summary (English)
• Report on institutional investors (English) | Executive summary of the institutional investors report (English)
• Working Group blog: UN Guiding Principles at 10

Other Working Group guidance

• UNGPs and a roadmap for responsible recovery in times of economic crisis
• Call for inputs: Ensuring business respect for human rights in the political and regulatory sphere and preventing "corporate capture"

Other UNGPs 10+ resources

• Written inputs
• UNGPs10+ events calendar
• UNGPs10+ project portal
• Project launch, 7 July 2020: Read key messages from the global multi-stakeholder dialogue | Watch the event

Working Group statements

• 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
• Anita Ramasastry, Chair, UN Working Group, Keynote remarks at webinar on “Implementing human rights due diligence in global supply chains” (organized by the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights, the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development), 10 December 2020
• Dante Pesce, Vice-Chair, UN Working Group, Remarks at the International Forum on Sustainable Mineral Supply Chains, 2 December 2020
• Anita Ramasastry, Chair, UN Working Group, Opening remarks at the 1st UN Pacific Forum on Business and Human Rights, 1 December 2020
• Dante Pesce, Vice-Chair, UN Working Group, Keynote remarks, “B+HR Asia Lab 4: Towards the Next Decade of Action”, 30 November 2020
• Dante Pesce, Vice-Chair UN Working Group, at 1st Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Session II - Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) and Lessons Learnt in ECIS Region, 24 November 2020
• Dante Pesce, Vice-Chair UN Working Group, at BMZ and German Council Presidency of the EU conference “Towards a Common Approach to Sustainable Supply Chains and Due Diligence” , Panel discussion: “Policy perspectives on due diligence: discussion on the options of mandatory due diligence obligations and the improvement of working and living conditions along global supply and value chains”, 24 November 2020
• Anita Ramasastry, Chair, UN Working Group, Opening remarks at webinar on the “Life and Adventures of the Ruggie Principles: A Snapshot of Business and Human Rights Practice from Indonesia”, Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), 23 November 2020
• Opening remarks by Anita Ramasastry, Chairperson UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, at 1st Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 23 November 2020
• Anita Ramasastry, Chair, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, opening remarks at the High-level plenary, 2020 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, 16 November, 2020
• UN Working Group, closing reflections, 2020 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, 18 November, 2020
• Keynote address, United Nations Development Program 2020 Annual Rule of Law and Human Rights Meeting
• Keynote remarks, C20 Virtual Summit 2020, session on “Business and Human Rights: Driving Multi-Stakeholder Engagement”
• Keynote remarks, German Government 2020 EU Presidency Conference on Human Rights and Decent Supply Chains, Workshop on “National Action Plans on business and human rights: How to ensure ambition and coherence?” Watch the video recording | Read the transcript
• Opening Keynote Address: UN Global Compact Network Australia Dialogue on Business and Human Rights