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Wednesday, November 27 • 15:00 - 16:45
Claiming accountability through peer review of national action plans: a simulation

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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.

Moderators
avatar for Kent Wilska

Kent Wilska

Commercial Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Works at Trade Policy Unit of the Department for External Economic Relations. Responsibilities i.a. trade and development, aid for trade, trade and labour rights, business and human rights, responsible business conduct, EU-Mercosur negotiations.Dr. in International Economics and Business... Read More →
avatar for Elin Wrzoncki

Elin Wrzoncki

Department Director, Human Rights and Business, Instituto Danés de Derechos Humanos
Director of Human rights & Business Department at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Denmark's National Human Rights institution (NHRI). The DIHR works with a variety of actors, including state actors, financial institutions and others to advance implementation of the UNGPs. In... Read More →

Speakers
MM

Mona M’Bikay

Director, UPR info
MN

Maryann Njau

Senior Deputy Solicitor General, Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice, Kenya
avatar for Denisse Cufré

Denisse Cufré

Coordinadora de Políticas Públicas de Empresas y Derechos Humanos, Human Rights Secretariat, Argentina
Abogada, investigadora tesista en Derechos Humanos y auxiliar docente en la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Miembro de la Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association y de la Red de Profesoras de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Como Coordinadora de... Read More →
avatar for Christopher Patz

Christopher Patz

Policy Officer, European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ)
AS

Anaïs Schill

Adviser, Business and Human Rights, Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’Homme, France
avatar for Froukje Boele

Froukje Boele

Jefa de Politicas Publicas, Centro de CER de la OCDE
Froukje Boele es Jefa de Políticas Públicas del Centro para la Conducta Empresarial Responsable en la Organización para la Cooperación y Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). En este cargo, trabaja con gobiernos, empresas y la sociedad civil para implementar las Líneas Directrices de... Read More →


Wednesday November 27, 2019 15:00 - 16:45 CET
Room XXI