United Nations OHCHR Forum for Business and Human Rights (27-29 November 2017): Background Information

As in past years (here, here, here, and here) I am again happy to report on the annual United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights. The 2017 Program materials remind us that

The UN Forum on Business and Human Rights is the global platform for yearly stock-taking and lesson-sharing on efforts to move the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights from paper to practice. The central theme of the 2017 Forum is “Realizing Access to Effective Remedy”.

The Opening Plenary will be live streamed: "Opening plenary."

Additional Materials:

Concept note
Reflections on the theme
Practical information
Modalities of participation
Guidance for session organizers and moderators

My own reflections on the UN Working Group 2017 Report  to the UN General Assembly (on this year's theme) may be accessed HERE (“All roads to remedy”: Reflections on 2017 Report of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises (A/72/162)). 

The 2017 Forum Program follows along with additional material from the 2017 Program materials and the schedule of WEBCAST PROGRAMMING:

 

Program Materials 2017

The UN Forum is the world's largest annual gathering on business and human rights with more than 2,000 participants from government, business, community groups and civil society, law firms, investor organisations, UN bodies, national human rights institutions, trade unions, academia and the media.

Over three days, participants take part in 60+ panel discussions on topics that relate to the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (the "Protect", "Respect" and "Remedy" Framework), as well as current business-related human rights issues.

The Forum is the foremost event to network, share experiences and learn about the many initiatives to promote corporate respect for human rights.

The UN Human Rights Council, under paragraph 12 of its resolution 17/4, established the Forum to serve as a key global platform for stakeholders to ”discuss trends and challenges in the implementation of the Guiding Principles and promote dialogue and cooperation on issues linked to business and human rights.” It is guided by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights.




The webcast programme from room XX are as follows:

Monday, 27.11.2017:
09:30-11:00 "Introduction to the access to remedy pillar"
15:00-18:00 "Implementing the UNGPs through policy and regulation - Trends and case studies"

Tuesday, 28.11.2017:
10:00-13:00 "Protecting and supporting human rights defenders"
15:00-18:00 "Access to remedy through multi-stakeholder engagement"

Wednesday, 29.11.2017:
10:00-13:00 "National action plans (NAPs) and access to remedy"
15:00-16:20 "Addressing modern slavery"
16:30-18:00 "Closing plenary"

PROGRAMME

About the 2017 UN Forum: The UN Forum on Business and Human Rights is the global platform for yearly stock-taking and lesson-sharing on efforts to move the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework from paper to practice. The central theme of the 2017 Forum is “Realizing Access to Effective Remedy”. The programme will include two plenary sessions, and more than 60 “parallel” sessions organized in simultaneous tracks throughout the three days. These are organized by both UN and external organizations, and are based on extensive consultations and submissions. In addition, the Forum will include a “developments and tools snapshots” track, where organizations wishing to highlight relevant work may be able to sign up for brief presentations.