AICHR, stakeholders share good practices to advance promotion of human rights in ASEAN business
BANGKOK, 6 June 2023 – The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) conducted the 2023 AICHR Regional Dialogue: Sharing Good Practices on the Business and Human Rights in ASEAN on 1 June for the AICHR, ASEAN sectoral bodies, regional stakeholders including national human rights institutions, the business community, international experts, and civil society organisations to update on the progress and exchange views on the strategies to advance the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in the region.
In her welcome remarks, Prof Dr Amara Pongsapich, Representative of Thailand to the AICHR highlighted that the regional dialogue was part of the continued initiatives by AICHR to share good practices and shape the emerging regional framework in implementing the UNGPs. She reiterated the importance of cross-pillar and cross-sectoral collaboration across the ASEAN Community pillars adhering to the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. The Dialogue this year would focus on the state, business, and labour dimensions of the guiding principles.
Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Economic Community Satvinder Singh stressed in his remarks that on its way to economic recovery from the pandemic, ASEAN recognises the importance of integrating human rights in commercial activities. The business community expects ASEAN to play a greater role in providing guidance on ways businesses can respect human rights throughout their operations, and to advance responsible and sustainable business practices. He underlined the needs to ensure that human rights are respected throughout the global supply chains and that ASEAN will need to devise an appropriate approach that balances human rights consideration and the development needs of the region.
Pichamon Yeophantong, Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, presented the global trends in business and human rights such as the shift from voluntary to mandatory instruments to be adopted by governments, regional and international institutions for the corporate sustainability, environmental and human rights due diligence. She welcomed the progress in the development of strategies and the National Action Plans (NAPs) on Business and Human Rights by ASEAN Member States.
Participants discussed the good practices for compliance on human rights due diligence in the Asia-Pacific region, social dimensions of business benchmarking, importance of state and corporate initiatives in advancing implementation of UNGPs in ASEAN, intersections of human rights due diligence, protection of the rights of migrant workers, and the right to development and workers’ rights in the supply chains.
Over 90 participants from across the region attended the regional dialogue. AICHR Thailand hosted the event in partnership with Ministry of Justice of Thailand, the United Nations Development Programme, Global Compact Network Thailand, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Federation of Thai Industries.
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