Business & Human Rights Network
Overview
An initiative of CRB, funded by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), Business & Human Rights (BHR) Network is an engagement platform for South Asian businesses to interact with important stakeholders to understand and explore opportunities in BHR. The objective is to simplify BHR and encourage uptake to enhance responsibility, competitiveness and resilience.
At CRB, we understand that BHR is integral to the realization of India’s Constitutional vision of equitable and sustainable growth for all. For any economy to be resilient, it should be founded on just and fair inter-relationships. In India, the centrality of this philosophy is embodied in the Constitution as part of the fundamental rights & directive principles. Today, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find Business & Human Rights at the heart of the ensuing humanitarian crises.
Globally, the pandemic has exposed & accentuated the fault lines that exist in our current growth/development models. There is a crying need to redefine growth and bring human rights to the centre of all endeavours to restore normalcy. There is today, both among businesses and its stakeholders, a growing acknowledgement of building “businesses with a purpose” that goes beyond conventional norms of shareholder capitalism.
Objectives
- Legislation & Policy Framework: A deliberation space for Industry to unpack implications of BHR legislations/policies, including North-South dialogues.
- Opportunities: Explore opportunities in BHR and enhance competitiveness through multi-stakeholder dialogues, events and training.
- Knowledge Bank: Create and curate a repository on global BHR guidelines, global trends and developments.
Events
- Webinar
- Date: 27 September 2024
- Organised by : Centre for Responsible Business (CRB),
- In collaboration with: Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF)
Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), hosted a Webtalk exploring the role of South Asian youth in advancing a just and inclusive transition to sustainability. The session brought together experts and thought leaders to explore strategies for empowering youth across South Asia to actively participate in the region’s transition to a green economy. The discussion focused on key areas such as upskilling and reskilling, ensuring inclusive participation, and preventing marginalisation in the face of climate and economic shifts. During the discussion, the emphasis was put on the urgent need for targeted education and skill development programs to prepare youth for emerging green job markets, while also addressing the potential job losses in carbon-intensive sectors. The session reinforced the need for a comprehensive, inclusive, and youth-centered approach to sustainability across South Asia.
- Date: 3 December
- Location: IIML Noida
- Partners : FNF & BHR & CRB & IILM
Centre for Responsible Business, in collaboration with the Business & Human Rights Network, Friedrich Naumann Foundation South Asia, and IIM Lucknow (Noida Campus), hosted a Leadership Talk. Distinguished speaker Bharat Wakhlu, Founder of The Wakhlu Advisory, delivered an insightful address that combined practical strategies with compelling storytelling. His lecture underscored the critical importance of bold and values-driven leadership in advancing human rights and sustainability, while inspiring emerging leaders to contribute to a just and inclusive global transition. The session represented a meaningful step toward fostering informed dialogue and collective action for a sustainable and equitable future.
- Date: 10 December
- Webinar
- Partners: FNF & BHR & CRB
Business & Human Rights Network recently commemorated International Human Rights Day by hosting a web talk organised in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom South Asia and Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), the session served as a platform to discuss the critical role of women in leadership and workforce participation. The event featured insights from industry leaders who highlighted the importance of institutional frameworks that support women’s advancement, as well as the need for visible female role models across sectors, including the gig economy. Discussions addressed structural barriers such as entrenched cultural norms, caregiving responsibilities, and inadequate workplace support systems. The session underscored the urgent need for systemic reforms to foster an enabling environment for women to thrive in leadership and employment.
As part of CRB’s 11th flagship Annual Conference – India and Sustainability Standards scheduled between November 13 to November 15, 2024, CRB, in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) South Asia, hosted a session that aimed to deepen the understanding of Responsible Sourcing and its role in making supply chain resilient by bringing together industry experts on a knowledge sharing platform. The session explored responsible sourcing and emerging global and domestic regulations/ expectations around it. It also highlighted how businesses can integrate responsible sourcing into their business operations and acted as a platform to exchange challenges and good practices
As part of a joint initiative, three partner organisations; Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), CRB and IGCC (Indo-German Chamber of Commerce), are working together to organize a series of quarterly webinars on a range of topics focusing on the different aspects of Business and Human Rights from a practitioner’s standpoint. The overall objective of the webinar series will be to provide businesses practical guidance on enhancing the adoption and integration of business and human rights in policy and practice. The series will also endeavour to build on the existing understanding of national frameworks that promote Business and Human Rights.
The series was kickstarted on the International Human Rights Day, i.e., December 10, 2020 with a focus on understanding of the UNGPs, introduction to NAP and aligning India’s journey with the substantive aspects of Pillar 2 of the UNGPs (Corporate Responsibility to Respect).
As part of CRB’s 7th flagship Annual Conference – ‘India and Sustainability Standards’ scheduled between October 28 to October 30, 2020, with the theme of ‘Sustainability a Key to Business Resilience in an Uncertain World’, CRB, in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) South Asia, curated a high-level panel discussion on Responsible Business particularly in the light of the recently notified disclosure and reporting guidelines (BRS) and an impending NAP. The panel attempted to weigh in on some of the ways and approaches in which professional bodies will help businesses understand and adopt the responsible practices and understand good practices adopted by progressive companies and discuss the business case for responsible conduct.
Awareness Building Videos
To further the understanding and application of B&HR by enterprises, CRB, in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), has conceptualised and developed a series of awareness building videos.
