The two-day workshop for officials of various ministries and departments to raise awareness on responsible business standards and their implications on domestic law and policymaking, organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from Sweden, ended on 14 November.

“As our country is set to graduate from the least developed country category in 2026, we are committed to pursuing a path of sustainable development that respects people and the environment in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs),” said Zuena Aziz, Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the chief guest at the inauguration on 13 November 2022.

“Special commitment of ensuring sustainable and inclusive development of a prosperous Bangladesh will require establishing a responsible business environment, which will help to achieve the interlinked SDGs,” Zuena Aziz also said.

UNGPs provide a blueprint to realise the goal of promoting responsible business practices by outlining the respective duties and responsibilities of States and businesses.

Effective implementation of the UNGPs by the government and business enterprises will ensure that they are well-prepared to respond to the challenges that may arise with the introduction of mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence by the European Commission’s proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

AnnaMaria Oltorp, Head of the Development Cooperation Section for Asia and the Pacific of the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok, reconfirmed Sweden’s commitment to promote responsible the responsible business agenda in the region, highlighting the important role of consumers, particularly youth.

Officials from various ministries, including the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Economic Relation Division (ERD) and Ministry of Labour and Employment, are attending the event. Professor Surya Deva of Macquarie University, Australia, Dr Harpreet Kaur, Business and Human Rights Specialist of UNDP Bangkok and Professor Shawkat Alam, Professor of International and Environmental Law at Macquarie University, Australia, are facilitating different sessions.

The two-day long workshop focused on relevant issues for developing a responsible business environment and the necessity of developing a National Action Plan on Responsible Business Practices in Bangladesh.