What is the project about? 

The project, referred to as “Strengthening Supply Chains in Türkiye”, aims to enhance the participation and contribution of businesses in upholding the rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs) during the post-earthquake recovery process. Grounded in a human rights-based approach, the project promotes responsible business conduct and focuses on the challenges PwDs face in the labor market and within supply chains. From employment to the design and delivery of goods and services, as well as transport and mobility, businesses have a key role in the lives of PwDs.

At the same time, the project supports the broader goal of fostering an enabling environment for the development of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR) in Türkiye. Through the establishment of an Interinstitutional Working Group, the project promotes structured policy dialogue on business and human rights, ensuring inclusive participation of public institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), business actors, and academia. These dialogues will adopt PwD-sensitive and equality-oriented approaches, with a particular focus on women’s and men’s equal participation and aim to strengthen cooperation across sectors for long-term rights-based recovery and policy development.

Funded by the Government of Iceland, the project is implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Türkiye in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

What is the situation? 

Following the 2023 earthquake in Türkiye, which caused severe damage across 11 provinces and displaced 3.3 million people,[1] UNDP Türkiye has focused on a human rights-based and inclusive recovery approach. This prioritizes the inclusion of vulnerable groups, especially persons with disabilities (PwDs), who are at high risk of being left behind. With the earthquake, many existing services for PwDs were disrupted, and the number of PwDs has risen significantly. It is estimated that nearly 70% of those injured during the earthquakes are now living with a long-term disability.[2] 

Businesses have a key role in supporting an inclusive, rights-based recovery after the 2023 earthquake. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) guide companies to uphold the rights of PwDs through Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD). The adoption of the European Union (EU)’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive,[3] which requires companies to address human rights and environmental risks across their operations and value chains has heightened the importance of this responsibility, particularly for Türkiye as an EU candidate with strong economic ties to the EU.

Although Türkiye has not yet developed a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, recent legislative and policy developments—such as the 12th National Development Plan and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security’s 2024–2028 Strategic Plan—highlight commitments to inclusive employment, green and digital transformation, and raising awareness on human rights in supply chains. These efforts provide a strong foundation for engaging the private sector in supporting the rights of PwDs in earthquake recovery.  

What is our mission? 

The overall mission of the project is to support a just and inclusive post-earthquake recovery by strengthening the businesses’ role in upholding the rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs). The project adopts a two-pronged approach:

1. Conducting a sectoral assessment in the textile industry to identify risks and opportunities related to PwD inclusion, and
2. Establishing an Interinstitutional Working Group on Business and Human Rights to foster coordinated dialogue and policy engagement across sectors.

By promoting responsible business conduct aligned with international human rights standards, the project aims to contribute to the development of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in Türkiye and to encourage lasting structural change in both policy and business practices.

How are we doing this 

The project aims to improve the engagement and performance of the businesses in upholding the human rights of PwDs during Türkiye's post-earthquake recovery. It follows a two-pronged approach: i) conducting a sectoral assessment in textile sector, and ii) creating an Interinstitutional Working Group on Business and Human Rights. 

The sectoral assessment will focus on identifying both the problems and potential opportunities for businesses to respect the rights of PwDs in the textile sector. This will be done through consultations with civil society, social partners, business, and academia, and the results will be shared with key stakeholders to promote discussions on just recovery, human rights in business operations, and empowerment of women and PwDs. The project will also develop a model methodology for future sectoral assessments. 

The Interinstitutional Working Group on Business and Human Rights will bring together various public institutions to anchor the Business and Human Rights (BHR) approach at all levels. In the first place, this group will focus on disability-related issues within the earthquake recovery process and will hold discussions to refine policies for inclusion. In addition, it will establish a scalable methodology applicable to other rights-based issues, such as women's rights and digitalization. The working group is also expected to create a BHR Intervention Framework that outlines member institutions’ roles, capacity needs, and a roadmap for future policy actions to guide business and human rights efforts in Türkiye. 

How will Türkiye benefit? 

This project offers Türkiye a strategic opportunity to maintain an inclusive and rights-based post-earthquake recovery. Through the collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security as main institutional partner, Türkiye will benefit from the project in these ways: 

• Through the sectoral assessment, risks and gaps regarding the human rights of PwDs will be identified and analysed in the textile sector.
• With the sectoral assessment, a model methodology scalable for future assessments in different sectors will be developed.
• The guideline for disability-friendly workplace will help adressing challenges regarding workplace compliance and labour rights of PwDs.
• The Interinstitutional Working Group on Business and Human Rights will be a key platform for inclusive policy discussions facilitating dialogue across public institutions, CSOs, and private sector on the rights of PwDs.
• Overall, through project interventions, a proper enabling environment for policymaking will be created and the development of National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights will be supported. 

[1] Please see here: https://www.sbb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Turkiye-Recovery-and-Reconstruction-Assessment.pdf (page: 156) 

[2] Please see here: https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2023-03/UNDP%20earthquake%20(FINAL).pdf (page: 41)  

[3] Please see here: https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/sustainability-due-diligence-responsible-business/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en