United Nations Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum, Asia-Pacific
SPOTLIGHT SESSIONS
As part of the UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum, our Spotlight Sessions offer a unique opportunity for focused, 30-minute conversations with leading experts and practitioners in their fields. These interview-style discussions dive deep into pressing topics surrounding business, human rights, and access to remedy.
Join us for these dynamic sessions to gain firsthand insights, ask questions, and engage directly with the people shaping the future of responsible business in the Asia-Pacific region.
Day 1
25 September | 12:30-13:00
Bhopal’s Unfinished Business: The 40-year struggle for accountability
In conversation with lawyer and activist Indira Jaising
Join a dialogue with renowned lawyer and activist—Indira Jaising as she reflects on 40 years of advocating for justice after the Bhopal disaster. Despite decades of effort, accountability remains ambiguous. This session will explore the ongoing fight for human rights and the lessons learned from one of India's most tragic industrial accidents.
25 September | 14:30-15:00
Remedy across Mandates: A conversation with UN Special Procedures
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Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on climate change
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Pichamon Yeophantong, Member, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
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Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development
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Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery
In conversation with UN Special Procedures experts, the session aims to discuss how they approach the concept of remedy in human rights violations. From the right to development and climate change to modern slavery, each speaker will offer insights from their specific mandates, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in securing justice for affected communities worldwide.
Day 2
26 September | 11:45-12:15
Critical Metrics: Leveraging benchmarking to advance access to remedy
A conversation with Namit Agrawal, Social Transformation Lead at the World Benchmarking Alliance
While most companies provide grievance mechanisms, the most recent Corporate Human Rights Benchmark showed that there is still a lack of participation and trust within these mechanisms. How can companies and others improve trust and transparency while advancing access to remedy, and what role can benchmarking play in this?
26 September | 11:45-12:15
Navigating Remedy in Conflict Contexts
In conversation with Vicky Bowman, Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business
How can businesses identify and address human rights issues in complex conflict contexts? The session will highlight the importance of conducting Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) in conflict settings, focusing on how businesses should assess risks and act responsibly. Gain valuable insights into the challenges and solutions for providing remedy in conflict situations from a business and human rights perspective.
27 September | 11:45-12:15
Remedy and NAPs: Paper into practice
In conversation with Timotheus Felder-Roussety, Social Counsellor bei Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany
27 September | 11:45-12:15
A Bottom-Up Perspective on Remedy
A conversation with civil society
Day 3