2019 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

Snapshot presented by the Centro Regional de Emprendimientos y Empresas Responsables (CREER) and the Institute for Business Ethics - University of St Gallen. Project supported by the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) and the Leading House for the Latin American Region.

Webcast of the session:
Meeting link
Meeting number: 843 764 408
Password: 627pYcpd

Egregious kinds of human rights violations leave emotional and moral scars, which can never be fully repaired. Material reparations, (e.g.: compensation, restitution and rehabilitation) as well as judicial sentences often fall short to address such intangible dimension of harm. Symbolic reparations, (e.g.: apologies, memorialization, collective memory initiatives), instead, are specifically designed to address it. Yet, there are very few things we know about the relationship between symbolic reparations and the private sector.

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, casually mentions ‘apologies’ as one possible form of corporate remedy. Recently, the UN Working group has also acknowledged apologies as part of a potential bouquet of remedies to be offered to victims. Yet, no further guidance is provided on apologies nor any other form of Symbolic Reparations, and there are very few things we know about the engagement of the private sector with symbolic reparations.

This snapshot will be based on the field research carried out in Colombia by the Centro Regional de Emprendimientos y Empresas Responsables (CREER) and the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St Gallen, consisting of the analysis of three case studies in which corporations, on different degrees and formulas, participated in symbolic reparations. The snapshot will share the barriers and benefits encountered by victims and corporations in engaging in these kinds of reparations as well as the organizational dynamics that led to such initiatives. Further information about the project and a complete report (English/Spanish) can be found here. This research project is kindly supported by the Leading House for the Latin American Region and the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS).