The 8th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights centred around the theme “Time to act: Governments as catalysts for business respect for human rights”. As in every year for the past years, Cares Project founder and director, Mr Jonas Burgheim, participated as a delegate to the Forum, which was held in Geneva from 25 to 27 November 2019.
Next to his participation in numerous specialised meetings on the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Forum provided for an ideal opportunity to exchange with partners and stakeholders in the international business and human rights arena. It particularly provided the opportunity to engage with representatives of other consultancy firms and potential future clients. Mr Burgheim’s content focus for this year’s edition was on human rights in the era of digitalisation, including on the B-Tech Project of the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), just like on business and human rights in sport, including the session “Human rights and the role of governments in bidding for and hosting mega sporting events“.
The UN Forum is the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights with more than 2,000 participants from government, business, community groups and civil society, law and consultancy firms, investor organisations, UN bodies, national human rights institutions, trade unions, academia and the media. It is held annually at the UN Office at Geneva in the late fall of each year.