Addressing the challenges that human rights defenders face in the context of business activities in an age of a shrinking civil society space
Wednesday 18 November 2015
10:00 - 11:20 am
Room XX (Building E), Palais des Nations, Geneva
Together with a coalition of civil society partners, ISHR is pleased to present this panel discussion on the relationship between business and human rights defenders.
This session will explore how to overcome the risks that defenders, who challenge business conduct, face in a world in which civil society at large fights for its place. It will showcase the experiences of prominent defenders and companies operating in complex environments. It will include contributions from Governments who are working to improve the rights of defenders. It will provide examples of what companies can do to provide meaningful, practical assistance to defenders, as well as the role that they can play in promoting laws, policies and action that supports civic space. Participants will also discuss what defenders and civil society can do to engage constructively with businesses to improve respect for human rights and what Governments need to do to allow peaceful dissent and fulfil their primary obligation to protect human rights.
Moderator:
- Salil Tripathi, Senior Adviser, Global Issues, the Institute for Human Rights and Business
Panelists:
- Alfred Brownell, President and Founder of the Association of Environmental Lawyers of Liberia
- Andy Hall, Human rights defender and migrant worker specialist (based in Thailand)
- Dan Bross, Microsoft's Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director of the Microsoft
- Technology and Human Rights Center
- Nicky Black, Head of Social Performance, De Beers
- Riccardo Serri, Deputy Head of Human Rights Strategy and Policy Implementation, European External
- Action Service (EU)
- Geneviève Paul, Head of Globalisation and Human Rights Desk, International Federation for Human
- Rights (FIDH)
Co-organisers:
- Amnesty International
- Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
- Civil Rights Defenders
- Front Line Defenders
- Institute for Human Rights and Business
- International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) – Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders programme
- International Service for Human Rights
- World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) – Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders programme
- UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
Forum Twitter hashtag: #bizhumanrights
Watch live: http://webtv.un.org/
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