A/HRC/21/21 I. Introduction 1. The global economic crisis continues to have a detrimental impact on the enjoyment of human rights in all parts of the world. At the root of the crisis lie failures of governance over decades of fast-developing globalization, creating governance gaps at many levels, including between the scope and impact of economic forces and actors, and the capacity of societies to manage their adverse consequences. These governance gaps have created a permissive environment for wrongful acts by economic actors of all kinds, without adequate sanctioning or reparation.1 Narrowing and ultimately bridging these gaps to limit the adverse impact on human rights is a global challenge that the United Nations must play its part in meeting. 2. An important step towards meeting the above-mentioned objective was taken in 2011, when the Human Rights Council, in its resolution 17/4, unanimously endorsed the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework. 2 The support from Member States from all geographic regions and levels of economic development, combined with the endorsement by global business organizations and trade unions and broad support from civil society organizations, effectively established the Guiding Principles as an authoritative global reference point for the business and human rights agenda. This constitutes a key development in the efforts to prevent and address the adverse impact on human rights arising from business-related activity. 3. In order to promote the dissemination and implementation of the Guiding Principles, the Human Rights Council, in resolution 17/4, also established the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, consisting of five independent experts for a period of three years. 4. Also in resolution 17/4, the Human Rights Council decided to establish an annual Forum on Business and Human Rights under the guidance of the Working Group to serve as a venue for stakeholders from all regions to discuss trends and challenges and identify good practices in the implementation of the Guiding Principles, and to promote dialogue and cooperation.3 5. Recognizing the important role of the United Nations in aligning the conduct of economic actors with international human rights norms, the Human Rights Council, in resolution 17/4, also requested the Secretary-General to prepare a report on how the United Nations system as a whole can contribute to the advancement of the business and human rights agenda and the dissemination and implementation of the Guiding Principles, addressing in particular how capacity-building of all relevant actors to this end can be best addressed within the United Nations system, and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-first session. The present report was prepared pursuant to that request. 6. In the present report, the Secretary-General considers how the business and human rights agenda, and particularly the Guiding Principles, may be effectively integrated in United Nations programmes and activities, particularly by embedding the issue in existing system-wide coordination and policy structures. In accordance with the request of the Human Rights Council in its resolution 17/4, special attention has been paid to the role of the system in building the necessary capacity of all actors on the issue of business and 1 2 3 A/HRC/8/5, para. 3. A/HRC/17/31, annex.. The first annual Forum will be held in Geneva on 4 and 5 December 2012. 3