From 18 June to 6 July, the UN Human Rights Council will be holding its 20th regular session in Geneva. At a parallel event to the Council’s session, on Thursday 21 June 2012 from 13h-15h, the International Commission of Jurists will be holding a high-level discussion on advancing human rights and business in the work of the Human Rights Council. This event will provide delegations and civil society with a forum to explore ways for further enhancing international standards within the Human Rights Council on the issue of businesses’ human rights responsibilities. The aim is to generate vigorous discussion about the need and options for more international instruments clarifying/enhancing the human rights legal framework applicable to business corporations, in particular in the area of effective remedies.
The meeting will take the format of a moderated panel discussion, with one hour of interventions by expert panellists, and one hour of interactive debate with all participants. Expert panellists will include Professor Marco Sassoli from the University of Geneva, Professor Andrew Clapham from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Mr Michael Addo from the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, Ms Harriet Berg from the Permanent Mission of Norway to UNOG, and Ms Rachel Groux-Nurnberg from Statkraft AS in Norway. Attendance is open to all delegations and members of civil society with access to the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Discussion human rights business-agenda-2012 (full text in English, PDF)