Impact of environmental, social and governance agenda on tax
Over the next few years, lawmakers and regulators in many jurisdictions will deepen their implementation of new human rights laws that impose significantly higher compliance burdens on companies. Concerns over whether...more
This summer, the European Union is expected to finalize and pass a law – albeit in a materially different form from previous versions – that will place substantial human rights obligations on global employers. On March 15,...more
On March 30, 2023, the United States Department of State announced the adoption—in conjunction with a host of international partners—of a specific Code of Conduct related to human rights considerations in the context of...more
In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ("UNGP"). That same year, the OECD revised its Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to include a new chapter on human...more
A new wave of mandatory human rights due diligence legislation is coming into force across Europe. It goes far beyond existing reporting obligations, such as under the UK or Australia’s Modern Slavery Acts, and will require...more
Recent years have seen a general move towards increased accountability and responsibility obligations imposed on businesses to respect human rights and prevent adverse impacts throughout the value chain. Nearly ten years...more
As discussed in our third alert in this series, legal risks will likely increase as ESG (environmental, social and governance) disclosures become more robust and stakeholders (and the plaintiffs’ bar) continue to become more...more
COVID-19: FCA update on business interruption insurance test case - On 13 and 15 July 2020, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) updated its webpage on the High Court test case concerning business interruption...more
Since it was established in 2014, a United Nations Inter-Governmental Working Group (“IGWG”) has met annually to develop a multilateral treaty to attempt to hold businesses legally accountable for harms that may be related to...more
On 16 July, a UN working group published a revised draft of its business and human rights treaty (following the “Zero” Draft published in July last year). Our post looks at some of the key developments, with a particular...more
The construction and further development of infrastructure is of crucial importance for society and a healthy economy. But protecting the environment and human rights has also come to the forefront of the global agenda. ...more
Last week marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which seeks to provide "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations". ...more
The concept of human rights due diligence is at the heart of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (“UNGPs“) and is finding its way into a growing body of legislation around the world...more
On August 7, the Omidyar Network’s Tech and Society Solutions Lab and the Institute for the Future (“IFTF”) launched a new toolkit, The Ethical Operating System (Ethical OS), to help guide technologists in building...more
As part of the HLBaSE programme, Peter Hood from our Business and Human Rights (BHR) team mentored a group of lawyers advising tech start up RightsDD on the definitions of slavery and trafficking for their risk management...more
It’s Friday and time for another overview of developments in the field of business and human rights that we’ve been monitoring. This week’s post includes: developments with respect to the proposed Australian Modern Slavery...more
On June 20, at the 2018 Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) formally launched its new Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct....more
The Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (“CHRB”) has released its 2018 research methodology, reflecting revisions to the 2016 methodology used to produce CHRB’s 2017 inaugural benchmarking report....more
Welcome to the first edition of BHR 360, our bi-annual Business and Human Rights newsletter. Over the past year the international community has focused its attention on the third pillar of the UN Guiding Principles on...more
Business Compliance with Human Rights - The subject of compliance by businesses (from small to multinational) with human rights norms is in the news every single day. Following the endorsement by the UN Human Rights...more
At a time when the extractive industry is facing additional scrutiny from NGOs and civil society organizations for its human rights practices, and States are beginning to take concrete steps to improve their laws governing...more
Between November 27-29, over 2,000 delegates gathered in Geneva to attend the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights. The central theme of this year’s Forum was “Realizing Access to Effective Remedy,” which is the third Pillar...more
It’s Friday and time for another overview of developments in the field of business and human rights that we’ve been monitoring. This week’s post includes: a revised Toolkit on National Action Plans on business and human...more
Proposals are being considered to amend the Swiss constitution to require mandatory human rights due diligence for companies based in Switzerland. This post considers the contents of the amendment, its progress and what Swiss...more
This week, the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva brought together representatives of business, government and civil society for three days of open, frank and constructive dialogue. ...more