Event information

10 November 2020, 16:00-17:30

Downloads

Flyer >

New Report Sheds Light on what Governments, Business and the UN need to do in Conflict-Affected Areas: but what’s Next for this Field?

Event

DRC: Luwowo is one of several validated mining site that respect CIRGL-RDC norms and guaranties conflict free minerals. DRC: Luwowo is one of several validated mining site that respect CIRGL-RDC norms and guaranties conflict free minerals.
Clipboard01       FES Logo       Quaker Logo

‘What is now required is more decisive action to integrate business and human rights into peace and security frameworks’

While it is well documented that the worst forms of business-related human rights abuse tend to happen in conflict-affected contexts, a better understanding of the practical measures that States and business enterprises should take to implement the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) to prevent and address business-related human rights abuse in conflict and post-conflict contexts is still needed.

To start addressing this gap, and as part of its mandate to promote the UN Guiding Principles, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UN Working Group) launched a project in 2018 and developed recommendations to governments, business actors and the UN system that are now out in a report to the UN General Assembly.

In the report, the UN Working Group identifies and clarifies a range of policies and tools that could be employed in conflict-prone regions to help ensure that business activity does not lead to human rights abuse and in turn stimulate or exacerbate conflict or negatively impact peacebuilding.

This online discussion – co-organized with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the  Quaker United Nations Office – will explore the UN Working Group's findings and identify what is missing from their analysis, where the field should go next and how to move from guidance to action.

Members of the UN Working Group will present their new report, while representatives of Swedwatch and Amnesty International will offer their own reactions to the report. This presentation will be followed by an informal discussion amongst speakers and participants.

WELCOME

  • Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director, Geneva Human Rights Platform and Manager of Policy Studies, Geneva Academy
  • Ira Gibson, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Geneva Office

REPORT PRESENTATION

  • Anita Ramasastry, Project Lead and Chair, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
  • Gerald Pachoud, Project Advisor, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

MODERATOR

  • Florence Foster, Representative, Peace and Disarmament, Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva

DISCUSSANTS

  • Hannah Peters, Researcher, Swedwatch
  • Patrick Wilken, Arms Control and Human Rights Researcher, Amnesty International

How to Join the Discussion

This event will take online on the platform Zoom.

To follow it, register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Asking Questions to Panelists

Please use the Zoom chat function to ask your questions, the moderator will make a selection of questions at the end of the presentations. There will be no possibility to interact by webcam and microphone in order to avoid connection issues.

Video

 

Opening and presentation of the report by Anita Ramasastry and Gerald Pachoud

In the report, the UN Working Group identifies and clarifies a range of policies and tools that could be employed in conflict-prone regions to help ensure that business activity does not lead to human rights abuse and in turn stimulate or exacerbate conflict or negatively impact peacebuilding.

Interventions by panelists, Hannah Peters (Swedwatch) and Patrick Wilcken (Amnesty international)

Members of the UN Working Group presented their new report, while representatives of Swedwatch and Amnesty International will offer their own reactions to the report.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP Diplomat Training News

Strengthening Diplomacy: GHRP Training Course Enhances Engagement with UN Human Rights

5 February 2025

The GHRP’s annual training equipped 19 diplomats with key insights into the UN Human Rights Council’s mechanisms and multilateral processes.

Read more

A GHRP training course News

Training Opportunities 2025: Engage with UN Human Rights Mechanisms

28 January 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform is launching its 2025 training programme, designed to empower stakeholders engaging with UN human rights system.

Read more

Faces and Data Event

Academic Freedom under Siege

24 March 2025, 13:15-14:45

This Human Rights Conversation will highlight the significance of academic freedom, explore its legal foundations, and examine the concrete threats it faces.

Read more

Asian workers working at technology production factory with industrial machines Training

Business and Human Rights

19-23 May 2025

This training course will examine how the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have been utilized to advance the concept of business respect for human rights throughout the UN system, the impact of the Guiding Principles on other international organizations, as well as the impact of standards and guidance developed by these different bodies.

Read more

Training

Human Rights and the Environment: Introducing Legal Regimes and Key Issues

1-8 September 2025

Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

Read more

Project

Follow-up Review Pilot Series

Started in November 2021

Read more

Session of the UN Human Rights Committee Project

Treaty Body Review 2020 and Beyond

Started in January 2018

The Geneva Human Rights Platform contributes to this review process by providing expert input via different avenues, by facilitating dialogue on the review among various stakeholders, as well as by accompanying the development of a follow-up resolution to 68/268 in New York and in Geneva.

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more