Background and Development Challenges 

UNDP, with the continued support of the European Union, has launched the Agents of Change (AOC): Youth and Media for Responsible Business Practices project to empower youth and media as powerful advocates for human rights and environmental sustainability in the business sector.

Part of a three-year regional programme covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Thailand, this initiative builds on UNDP’s longstanding work on Business and Human Rights (BHR). It seeks to strengthen youth and media engagement in shaping responsible business conduct, fostering new partnerships, and driving dialogue between businesses, policymakers, and civil society.

In Thailand, AOC supports the country’s commitments under its Second National Action Plan on BHR and contributes to existing and future regulatory initiatives that promote human rights and environmental protection. By mobilizing youth voices and media influence, the project aims to hold businesses accountable, promote transparency, and inspire systemic change in corporate practices.

Aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, AOC contributes to advancing SDGs, including Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16).

Asia’s economic growth trajectory has shifted in recent years due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, global inflationary pressures, geo-political tensions, and other factors. Growth has slowed in key economies, and inequality has been steadily growing in the region. Youth make up a large proportion of the population in some countries, but they face the cumulative burden of poverty, unemployment and political marginalization.  

By some measures, economic growth across many developing Asian countries has been built on cheap and abundant labour, and weak environmental protections. This has resulted in exploitation, accompanied with costs and risks to human rights, with vulnerable groups including migrant workers, women, children and indigenous peoples facing the most serious consequences. Asia’s rapid growth has also resulted in significant, and in some cases, irreversible environmental damage. Obscuring these challenges, media has enjoyed, at best, uneven levels of freedom to report on human rights and environmental abuses. Civic space has shrunk considerably over the last 10 years or more. 

Still, Asian media maintains a critical role in creating awareness and shaping and influencing public opinion on business and human rights, and environmental issues. Youth are proving to be a powerful force as both consumers and influencers. With increased awareness and tools for action, youth and media across Asia can voice and channel their demands to impact businesses to respect human rights and uphold environmental standards as a means of fostering development that is sustainable, upholding human dignity and contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. 

The Agents of Change: Youth and Media for Responsible Business Practices (the project) will leverage the untapped potential of youth and media to act as mobilizers and agents of change pushing policy makers and businesses to address business-related human rights abuses and adverse environmental impacts, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other global standards. The countries of focus for programming intervention include Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Thailand.