Business and Human Rights

The South-East Asia region continues to be one of the most economically dynamic regions in the world. The rapid expansion of private sector presence and influence in the region as well as the implication for human rights has led to a debate on the roles and responsibilities of business. In the context of OHCHR’s mandate to lead the business and human rights agenda in the UN system, the Regional Office for South-East Asia is committed to a broad range of activities.

This includes providing advice, tools and guidance, in particular developing trainings relating to the dissemination and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, supporting capacity building on Business and Human Rights to all stakeholders in the region, providing technical support to human rights mechanisms (such as the Working Group on Business and Human Rights) and working continuously with partners on developing tools and guidelines for companies and other relevant stakeholders to integrate human rights into the world of business.

In addition, the Regional Office for South-East Asia continues its work to ensure that judicial and non-judicial mechanisms hold business and other economic actors to account for rights abuses and provide remedies to victims, support human rights defenders and local communities.