United Nations Virtual Forum on Business and Human Rights
- November 16, 2020 - November 18, 2020
- Geneva (Online)
The United National Virtual Forum on Business and Human Rights is the largest global gathering with a focus on trends, challenges and progress in advancing the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This annual event, guided and chaired by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights and organised by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), attracts more than 2,000 participants from government, business, community groups and civil society, law firms, investor organisations, UN bodies, national human rights institutions, trade unions, academia and the media.
Given the human rights and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s forum was centred around the theme, ‘Preventing adverse impacts to build a sustainable future’.
From 16 -18 November 2020, participants had the opportunity to participate in over 60 panel discussions on topics related to Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework), as well as current business-related human rights issues.
WIEGOs Law Programme Director Marlese von Broembsen and Street Net’s Lorraine Sibanda both spoke at a session entitled, ‘Informality: How to Approach the Elephant in the Room.’ This session explored current barriers and potential solutions to embed the UNGPs in the informal economy, in support of the decent work agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Similarly, it considered various potential pathways to achieve these goals, including the role of incentives to facilitate a transition to formality for both workers and enterprises.
Marlese spoke about informality in garment supply chains, with a specific focus on homeworkers.
More Information
View 2020 Virtual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights Concept Note
View Tentative Forum Programme
Read more about the 2019 Forum on Business and Human Rights.
Learn more about WIEGO’s Law Programme
