2019 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

Session organized by the Danish Institute for Human Rights

Webcast of the session:
Meeting link
Meeting number: 841 119 422
Password: Fy2ggiUD

Interpretation provided by Spanish and English by DOCIP

This session will explore opportunities and options of strengthening implementation of the UN Guiding Principles by states through establishing a peer review mechanism of National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights. This will be done through simulating what a peer review exercise could resemble.

Session objectives
This session aims at generating reflections on the value of peer review of NAPs. It will also stimulate debate on potential models and setting for such peer reviews at regional and/or international levels.

Key discussion questions

• What criteria could a NAP be reviewed against in relation to process, content and efficiency?
• Which stakeholders should be involved in a peer review exercise of NAPs and how?
• What are good peer review models to build from?
• Within what institutional framework could a NAP peer review mechanism be established?
• How do we get it off the ground?

Format of the session
The session will consist of a facilitated interactive dialogue between a state and a review panel comprised of other states’ representatives as well as other stakeholders. It will be followed by an engaged discussion between the audience and BHR as well as peer review experts.

Background to the discussion
Since 2011 states have been encouraged by various actors including inter-governmental organisations to develop national action plans on business and human rights (NAPs) to articulate their priorities and actions to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). To date, 23 states have developed NAPs while 13 more are officially in the process of developing NAPs. NAPs have generated much needed dialogues at national level on business-related human rights issues and potential solutions to these issues and have triggered a number of policy initiatives, NAPs however have also been criticised for failing to address critical issues or for lacking teeth [1][2]. This makes it important to review NAPs and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current NAPs in implementing the UNGPs and enhancing protections for rights-holders against business-related human rights abuses.

An institutionalised review of NAPs could be instrumental in advancing the quality of NAPs measured against criteria set forth by existing guidance on NAPs and increase their efficiency in addressing business-related human rights issues. Peer review systems have been developed in various policy areas to assess practices and improve policy making.