The 11th UN Business and People’s Forum saw a return to in-person discussions for the first time since the start of the pandemic. This allowed ISHR and partners to bring the voices, concerns and experiences of human rights defenders through a series of events that address issues and challenges along the lines of this year’s forum’s central theme: “Rights Defenders at the Center: Strengthening accountability to advance business respect for people and planet in the next decade.’
These events focused on the responsibility of companies operating in Russia in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine; on Covid-19 vaccines, transparency and the suppression of protectionist repression during the pandemic; the role of women human rights defenders defending people and planet in Latin America against abuses by extractive industries; on the question of whether the UN Guiding Principles and national action plans are effective as a remedy for victims and defenders of human rights; and finally, ISHR hosted the launch of the Global Benchmarking Alliance’s Corporate Human Rights Standard.
These events, bringing together many strategic partners, become key in strengthening ISHR’s business and human rights priorities, with defenders always at the center.
