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Wednesday, December 1 • 12:30pm - 1:45pm
Western European and Other States Group (WEOG): Progress over the next decade of implementing the UNGPs - Regional trends and dialogue

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Session organized by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights

A RECORDING OF THIS SESSION IS AVAILABLE HERE.

Brief description of the session:
As the UNGPs turned 10 in June 2021, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights took stock of the first decade of implementation. The stocktaking highlighted that the UNGPs have led to significant progress by providing a common framework for all stakeholders in managing business-related human rights risks and impacts, but that considerable gaps remain to effectively prevent and remedy harm caused by business, particularly for those in the most vulnerable situations. Meaningful progress over the next 10 years will depend on how these gaps are addressed.

This session provides an opportunity for WEOG States to share their own commitments and plans for scaling-up implementation and effectiveness of the UNGPs in the next decade in the region.
This Forum session is part of the Forum track on trends and challenges in promoting business respect for human rights in the context of each region of the world. In the context of the Working Group’s project ‘Business and human rights: towards a decade of global implementation' (also known as “UNGPs 10+ / Next Decade BHR”), it provides an opportunity for WEOG States to share their own achievements, commitments, innovations, policies and plans. It also offers a chance for WEOG States to respond to the recommendations made by the Working Group as part of the UNGPs 10+ project.

Participants will discuss legal and policy innovations and practices on which progress can be built across the region for strengthening action to address business and human rights issues and promote responsible business conduct in the next decade.

The session will involve presentations by governments that are moving ahead with regulatory and policy innovations including promoting better human rights due diligence, effectively developing, revising and implementing national action plans on business and human rights and strengthening access to effective remedy for victims of business-related human rights abuses. The presentations will be complemented by perspectives from other relevant stakeholders in a spirit of constructive dialogue.

Objectives of the session:
  • Share lessons learned from recent government efforts to drive greater policy coherence on business and human rights issues, and reach a significant scale in the implementation by business enterprises of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights.
  • Facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue around lessons learned and way forward, including on how to strengthen a race to the top among WEOG States.
  • Reflect on the ways to implement within the region the recommendations made by the Working Group through its UNGPs 10+ project.

Background documents and submissions:

Moderators
avatar for Anita Ramasastry

Anita Ramasastry

miembro, Grupo de Trabajo sobre las empresas y los derechos humanos
Sra. Anita Ramasastry es la profesora Roland L. Hjorth de Derecho y Directora del Programa de Posgrado en Desarrollo Internacional Sostenible en la Escuela de Derecho de la Universidad de Washington. Investiga y enseña en los ámbitos de la justicia y el desarrollo, la lucha contra... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Lucie Chatelain

Lucie Chatelain

Advocacy and Litigation Officer, Sherpa
Lucie Chatelain is an Advocacy and Litigation Officer in Sherpa's Globalisation and Human Rights Programme.Sherpa is a French non-governmental organisation which aims to defend victims of economic crimes and fight against new forms of impunity linked to globalisation - through legal... Read More →
avatar for Théo Jaekel

Théo Jaekel

Corporate Responsibility Expert - Business and Human Rights, Ericsson
Legal counsel responsible for human rights at group level, across Ericsson's value chain. This includes issues related to responsible sourcing and the end use of Ericsson technology.
avatar for Elin Wrzoncki

Elin Wrzoncki

Department Director, Human Rights and Business, Instituto Danés de Derechos Humanos
Director of Human rights & Business Department at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Denmark's National Human Rights institution (NHRI). The DIHR works with a variety of actors, including state actors, financial institutions and others to advance implementation of the UNGPs. In... Read More →
avatar for Keith Shannon

Keith Shannon

UK 's Acting Migration and Modern Slavery Envoy
Born in Edinburgh in Scotland, Keith was educated at Craigmount High School and at the University of St Andrews, from which he graduated with an MA (Honours) degree in Modern History with International Relations.Keith joined the Diplomatic Service in 1988. Before his first posting... Read More →
avatar for Wolfgang Bindseil

Wolfgang Bindseil

Head of the Division Business and Human Rights, German Foreign Office
Wolfgang Bindseil is Head of the Division Business and Human Rights in the German Foreign Office since October 2020. On his previous post, he served as Head of Division for Humanitarian Assistance (2019/20), Minister-Counsellor at the German Embassy in Kyiv (2015-19), Deputy Head... Read More →
GN

Guro Nygaard Lysdahl

senior adviser, Norwegian Ministry of Children and Families
avatar for Gerry Cunningham

Gerry Cunningham

Director of the Human Rights Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland
Gerry Cunningham is the Director of the Human Rights Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Human Rights Unit provides the Secretariat to the multi-stakeholder implementation group supporting Ireland’s first National Plan on Business and Human Rights. Gerry was previously... Read More →
avatar for Scott Busby

Scott Busby

Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Scott Busby serves as Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, where in addition to the Bureau’s budget and human resources, he oversees the Bureau’s work on East Asia and... Read More →
MP

Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve

Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Belgium
avatar for H.A. (Hannah) Tijmes

H.A. (Hannah) Tijmes

Deputy Director, Trade Policy and International Economic Governance Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands
Involved in Responsible Business Conduct since 2017 and as such responsible for policy development of a smart mix to promote RBC. This includes legislative initiatives, voluntary multi-stakeholder initiatives and the development of an RBC support office for businesses.Ms Tijmes is... Read More →



Wednesday December 1, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm CET
Virtual Room 2