About the mandate
The Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises (also referred to as the Working Group on Business and Human Rights) was established by the Human Rights Council in 2011 by resolution
17/4. The Council renewed the Working Group’s mandate in 2014 (resolution
26/22), 2017 (resolution
35/7) and 2020 (resolution
44/15).
As set out in resolution 17/4, the Working Group has a mandate promote, disseminate and implement the
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The group is also mandated to exchange and promote good practices and lessons learned on the implementation of the Guiding Principles, and to assess and make recommendations thereon.
Learn more about the
mandate and the working methods of the group.
About the members
The Working Group is composed of five independent experts of balanced geographical representation. Collectively, these experts bring diverse skills and experience on the advancement of business respect for human rights across a wide range of countries, issues, and sectors. Access biographies of the
members of the Working Group.
Key documents
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework
This document details the principles developed by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The Special Representative annexed the Guiding Principles to his final report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/17/31), which also includes an introduction to the Guiding Principles and an overview of the process that led to their development. The Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Principles in its resolution 17/4 of 16 June 2011.
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Frequently Asked Questions on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
This publication explains the background and the contents of the UNGPs and how they relate to the broader human rights system and other frameworks. It aims to help both practitioners and newcomers to navigate and understand the Guiding Principles.
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The Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights: An Interpretive Guide
This guide focuses on the Guiding Principles that address the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. It was developed in full collaboration with the former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
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Latest thematic reports
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights at 10: taking stock of the first decade
Ten years after the introduction of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” framework, this report 2021 takes a look at progress and remaining hurdles.
View report page | View document
A/HRC/47/39
Business, human rights and conflict-affected regions: towards heightened action
This report to the UN General Assembly in October 2020 outlines practical measures to prevent and address business-related human rights abuse in conflict and post-conflict contexts, with a focus on heightened human rights due diligence and access to remedy.
View
report page | View document
A/75/212 | View
executive summary of the report
Connecting the business and human rights and anti-corruption agendas
In this 2020 report to the Human Rights Council, the Working Group examines how the business and human rights agenda—articulated in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights—and anti-corruption efforts, are interconnected.
View
report page | View document
A/HRC/44/43
Policy coherence in government action to protect against business-related human rights abuses
This 2019 report to the General Assembly looks at practical ways to enhance government’s capacity, ability and action to protect against abuses, drawing on lessons learned from national action plans and other relevant policy frameworks.
View
report page | View document
A/74/198
Latest country reports
Mission to Honduras (19 to 28 August 2019)
View document
A/HRC/44/43/Add.2
Mission to Georgia (3 to 12 April 2019)
View document
A/HRC/44/43/Add.1
Forum on Business and Human Rights
The UN Forum established by the Human Rights Council in 2011 has become the world's largest global gathering on business and human rights. The three-day conference is held annually in Geneva, normally in November. It is guided and chaired by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, as per Human Rights Council resolutions
17/4 and
35/7.
The Forum serves as a key global platform for stakeholders to ”discuss trends and challenges in the implementation of the Guiding Principles and promote dialogue and cooperation on issues linked to business and human rights.” It is open to States, business enterprises and associations, civil society organisations, trade unions, victims, academics, students, the media and any other relevant stakeholder.
Please see the
webpage of the Forum for further information.
