The Global Compact Network Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission are convening Australia’s second national multi-stakeholder, multi-sector dialogue on business and human rights.
Australian businesses increasingly understand their human rights-related risks and responsibilities, with growing pressure being put on them to know and show that they are respecting human rights. Businesses are also realising the opportunities that positive engagement with human rights can bring in a broad range of areas such as supply chain management, Indigenous engagement, inclusion and community investment. Other stakeholders including government, civil society, academia and investors are also exploring ways that they can support business to manage their human rights-related risks at home and abroad.
Following the success of the first national dialogue on business and human rights in 2014, the 2015 Dialogue will bring together leaders and experts from business, government, civil society, academia and the investor community to progress business and human rights practice and discourse in Australia.
The Dialogue will explore current practices, challenges and opportunities through the ‘protect, respect and remedy’ pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the authoritative global standard and key reference point for businesses on the ‘how to’ of addressing human rights impacts. In particular, the Dialogue will:
- Enhance the capacity of Australian businesses to identify and manage their human rights-related risks and opportunities;
- Build participants’ understanding of business and human rights in a practical way, through highlighting current leading practices;
- Explore the role of different stakeholders in supporting businesses to understand and manage human rights issues; and
- Build peer and multi-stakeholder networks around business and human rights.
The format of the Dialogue will be interactive to encourage discussion and learning. The Dialogue will be held under the Chatham House rule.
