Business and Human Rights the Working Group on the Issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, and Improving Accountability and Access to Remedy
Welcomes the work of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises in the fulfilment of its mandate as established in Human Rights Council resolution 17/4, including with regard to promoting the effective and comprehensive dissemination and implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
2
Encouragesall States to enhance efforts to implement the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including through appropriate policy frameworks, regulations and the development of national action plans on business and human rights;
3
EncouragesStates and invites business enterprises to report on progress made, challenges, and lessons learned in the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights during the annual Forum on Business and Human Rights, on a voluntary basis;
4
Encouragesall business enterprises to meet their responsibility to respect all human rights as stated in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and in other applicable standards, including for example by actively contributing to initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of respect for the rule of law, for the protection of human rights, by participating in good faith in domestic judicial and non-judicial processes, and by establishing effective operational-level mechanisms to enable the early resolution of grievances;
5
Welcomes the work of the Working Group and takes note of its reports on connecting the business and human rights and the anti-corruption agendas, and on the gender dimensions of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
6
Also welcomes the role of the Working Group in regional forums and consultations to discuss challenges and lessons learned from the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights with States and other stakeholders in a regional context, and in this regard requests the Working Group to further develop its active engagement in relevant regional forums from within existing resources;
7
Decides, in the context of the tenth anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2021, to hold a panel discussion during the forty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council with the participation of the Working Group and with the objective of taking stock of progress made over the first 10 years since the endorsement of the Guiding Principles and discussing possible further steps to improve their future implementation by all stakeholders;
8
Welcomes the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on improving accountability and access to remedy for victims of business-related human rights abuse, and notes with appreciation her report on improving accountability and access to remedy for victims of business-related human rights abuse through non-State-based grievance mechanisms;
9
InvitesStates to consider using all relevant reports of the High Commissioner, including the recommendations therein, when seeking to enhance the ability and effectiveness of State-based grievance mechanisms and to facilitate non-State-based grievance mechanisms;
10
Invitesall business enterprises to consider the reports of the High Commissioner when establishing or participating in effective non-State-based grievance mechanisms that are relevant for respect by business enterprises for human rights;
11
Encouragesall relevant United Nations agencies and programmes, national human rights institutions and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to take into consideration the reports of the High Commissioner and of the Working Group in their activities aimed at supporting efforts by States and business to improve accountability and access to remedy;
12
Requeststhe High Commissioner to continue her work in the area of accountability and remedy, and to convene two consultations involving representatives of States and other stakeholders to discuss challenges, good practices and lessons learned in enhancing access to remedy for victims of business-related human rights abuse, and to submit a report thereon to the Human Rights Council at its fiftieth session;
13
Welcomes the role of the Working Group in guiding the three-day annual Forum on Business and Human Rights;
14
Decides that the Working Group shall continue to guide the work of the Forum on Business and Human Rights and to prepare its annual meetings, and invites the Working Group to chair the Forum and to submit a report on the proceedings and thematic recommendations of the Forum to the Human Rights Council for its consideration;
15
Also decides to extend the mandate of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, as set out by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 17/4, for a period of three years;
16
Requeststhe Working Group, in accordance with its mandate, to continue to give due consideration to the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
17
Encouragesall States, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms, and civil society actors, including non-governmental organizations, as well as public and private businesses, within their respective mandates, to cooperate fully with the Working Group in the fulfilment of its mandate by, inter alia, responding to communications transmitted, as provided in paragraph 6 (b) of Human Rights Council resolution 17/4, to give due consideration to the issue of business and human rights and, in the case of States, to reply favourably to requests for visits by the Working Group;
18
Invitesinternational and regional organizations to seek the views of and collaborate with the Working Group when formulating or developing relevant policies and instruments, and invites the Working Group to continue to collaborate closely with relevant United Nations bodies, including the treaty bodies and the special procedures;
19
Encouragesthe Working Group, within its mandate, to continue its work on the role of national human rights institutions in promoting business and human rights, including by assisting them on their request;
20
Requeststhe Secretary-General and the High Commissioner to provide the Working Group with all the resources and assistance necessary to fulfil its mandate effectively, including its role in guiding the work of the Forum on Business and Human Rights;
21
Also requeststhe Secretary-General and the High Commissioner to provide the Forum, in a transparent manner, with all the services and facilities necessary, bearing in mind the growing participation in the Forum and paying particular attention to regional balance and ensuring participation of affected individuals and communities;
22
Decides to continue its consideration of this question in conformity with its annual programme of work.
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