Business, Human Rights and the Environment – Priority actions for government and multilateral organizations in Asia

6 May 2021, 2-3:30 PM

Over the last several decades, pro-growth policies have translated into higher incomes and reduced poverty levels in many countries in Asia. However, rapid economic development has not come without significant costs and risks. Today, there is growing concern that key industries in Asia are having an unsustainable impact on the environment, with irreversible consequences for individuals, families, and societies.

Mitigating the multitude of risks posed requires a deeper appreciation of the challenges we face in the Anthropocene era.[1] More specifically, it demands a stronger understanding of the interconnections between human rights, business, and the environment. As recently noted by UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner, “To survive and thrive in [the Anthropocene], we must redesign a path to progress that respects the intertwined fate of people and planet and recognizes that the carbon and material footprint of the people who have more is choking the opportunities of the people who have less.”[2]

In this spirit, increasing numbers of human rights experts and environmental specialists are abandoning their siloes and elevating discussions on the right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. But more must be done to bridge knowledge gaps. According to Justin Nolan, Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute, “people working on climate change do not speak the same language as those working on human rights.” To this end, the B+HR Asia Roundtable Series aims to provide a sustained space for dialogue on business, human rights, and the environment (BHR/E), setting milestones for progress, and guiding initiatives.

On 6 May 2021, UNDP and UNEP will convene its first in a series of discussions on BHR/E to answer three basic questions: What work has been done so far? What efforts are producing results? And what more needs to happen to strengthen linkages and galvanize action? This first roundtable will focus on priority actions for government and multilateral organizations, with subsequent roundtables focusing on business and civil society.

Framework for discussions on Business, Human Rights, and the Environment

In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) endorsed through resolution 17/4, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the world’s most authoritative, normative framework for promoting responsible business practices. In the same resolution, the HRC established the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises (UNWG) which, among other things, guides the programme of the annual Forum on Business and Human Rights. During these global Forums, multiple sessions on the intersection of human rights and the environment have been held. In October of this year, the UNWG will develop an Information Note on what the UNGPs entail for States and business enterprises in relation to climate change.

In 2012, the HRC established the mandate for the Independent Expert on human rights and the environment. The HRC renewed that mandate on 23 March 2021 for a period of three years. In his 2019 report, relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Special Rapporteur David Boyd, delineated the roles of States and business in addressing climate change and climate action.

Astride these developments, there has been progress on the topic of business, human rights and the environment by UN entities working in Asia. Since 2018, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has implemented its Environmental Rights Initiative which works to “bring environmental protection nearer to the people by assisting state and non-state actors to Promote, Protect and Respect Environmental Rights”. Alongside other partners, UNDP drove conversations in Asia on human rights and the environment during its regional forums on BHR in 2016, 2019 and 2020. Throughout, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) based in Asia has focused attention on human rights and climate change through a series of resolutions, reports, and activities on the subject, and by advocating for a human rights-based approach to climate change.

Objectives

The overall objective of the roundtable is to deepen discussions and give lift to potential initiatives related to business, human rights. and the environment. In this regard, the roundtable aims to:

1.     Bring together experts to exchange ideas on priority actions that government and multilateral organizations can take in the Asia context

2.     Shape potential initiatives on BHR/E for uptake by UN and other actors

3.     To help develop milestones of progress along short, medium and long-term goals

Objectives may be met over time, building on consecutive roundtable discussions.

Draft Agenda

UNDP will share results from an online survey conducted with UNEP support, seeking inputs on priorities for action. Breakout groups will be hosted on areas identified as priorities, to detail activities that UNDP and other multilateral organizations might take forward at regional and country levels with governments, the EU delegations, CSOs and other UN entities. Following this roundtable, a proposed action plan complemented by detailed deliberations may be presented during a session at the annual Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum in June.

1. Introduction
2. Keynote remarks: UNWG on Business and Human Rights, Vice Chair, Dr. Surya Deva
3. Roundtable discussion
4. Breakout groups: Potential initiatives to take forward
5. Reconvene and next steps

About UNDP’s B+HR Asia programme

In partnership with the European Union (EU) and the Government of Sweden, UNDP’s Business and Human Rights programme (B+HR Asia) promotes the implementation of the UNGPs in Asia through multi-country efforts focused on advocacy, policy development, technical advisory support, capacity building, awareness raising, innovation platforms, regional peer learning events, and South-South cooperation. In recent months, the EU has provided new support to heighten dialogue on the external dimensions of the EU Green Deal. In this effort, the EU is supporting regional initiatives on BHR/E that might be taken up at the country level through the project, Business and Human Rights in Asia: Enabling Sustainable Economic Growth through the Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework.

[1] The Anthropocene has been defined as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. See, “Prosperous and green in the Anthropocene: The human right to a healthy environment in Southeast Asia. Raoul Wallenberg Institute. 2020.

[2] Human Development Report 2020, The next frontier: Human development and the Anthropocene. UNDP. 2020.