Background

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The Business and Human Rights Agenda has steadily grown in prominence over the last decade. In Asia, UNDP’s Business and Human Rights Programme, implemented with support from the European Union, the Government of Sweden and the Government of Japan, has seen a genesis from limited awareness of the UN Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) when programming started in 2016, to the blossoming of current programming in 14 countries; namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Beyond Asia, and through the partnership with Government of Japan, programming and interest has further grown in reach to a global scale, with work across five regions: Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently, the UNDP B+HR programme has a footprint in nearly 40 countries globally. Fueling the growing agenda is the central approach of peer-learning and knowledge sharing between States.

 

One of the main objectives of the programme is to support the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by the States. In this regard, 2023 proved to be a landmark for Business and Human Rights in Asia, as the region recorded numerous milestones in advancing State duty in the implementation of the UNGPs. For example, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, and Vietnam adopted their first National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights (NAP), and Thailand adopted its second NAP. Malaysia is also on track to adopt its NAP by the end of 2024. The annual UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forums, and similarly placed sub-regional forums, have been indispensable sites of cross-regional learning and peer-exchanges between governments on emerging challenges and opportunities in advancing the UNGPs – accelerating adoption and implementation of NAPs. 

In line with this tradition and leveraging the presence of government delegates attending the 6th regional United Nations Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum for Asia Pacific in Bangkok, UNDP is hosting a closed-door peer-to-peer exchange and networking session among government delegates at the following details. 

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Objectives

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The key objectives of this session are to provide government delegates attending the Forum the opportunity to:

• Meet, greet, and network with their peers, and strengthen engagement during the three days of the Forum;

• Exchange and learn from others’ efforts in implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs);

• Inspire and get inspired by other governments’ actions in developing or implementing a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP), as well as building national momentum on responsible business.

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Key questions

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• What are the challenges and opportunities to implement UNGPs, particularly through NAP?

• What are some examples of measures and actions in the adopted NAPs in the Asia Pacific, particularly those are related to strengthening access to effective remedy and justice? 

• For States that successfully adopted NAP or a similar policy instrument to implement UNGPs, what could have been done differently to improve the development and/or implementation process, especially a component concerning the effectiveness of remedy and access to justice for those whose human rights were adversely impacted by business operations?