A/HRC/26/20 diligence in the context of economic activities and ensuring that risks to vulnerable groups or communities are considered, providing technical assistance and supporting relevant research (A/HRC/21/21 and Corr.1, para. 42). The Secretary-General has recommended that resident coordinators take the lead at the national level, in collaboration with OHCHR where possible, to integrate the Guiding Principles into relevant activities (ibid., para. 43). 39. In that respect, the Secretary-General notes that some country teams have taken up the business and human rights agenda and integrated the Guiding Principles or elements thereof into their work, specifically in the context of policies relating to development of the extractive industries and potentially adverse impacts associated with that sector. However, a coordinated strategy for ensuring that resident coordinators and country teams integrate the business and human rights agenda in their work is still lacking and, in its absence, integration at the country level still appears to be fragmented. It would be helpful for human rights advisers deployed at the request of resident coordinators to receive targeted training in business and human rights. However, further coordinated action at the executive level of the United Nations will also be needed. D. Trade and investment 40. The Guiding Principles can help to ensure that business-focused trade and investment policies and standards contribute to, and do not result in advance impacts on, human rights. The former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises recognized in particular the issue of State-investor contracts as a key potential lever to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts (see A/HRC/17/31/Add.3, annex). 41. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) can advance the business and human right agenda by ensuring integration of the Guiding Principles into policy guidance and capacity-building efforts. For example, in 2013, UNCTAD organized a conference on corporate social responsibility for business participants, in which the Guiding Principles were featured. 42. Within the United Nations system, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has a mandate to develop rules and regulations governing international trade, in collaboration with the World Trade Organization. UNCITRAL offers an important entry point for integrating the Guiding Principles. UNCITRAL also has significant technical expertise on the issue of corporate and trade law, and would be well placed to take the lead on examining how the Guiding Principles are implemented by States through law-making at national levels. UNCITRAL could support activities of the Working Group on business and human rights on the issue of State legislative implementation, in the context of the Working Group’s activities on State national action plans for the implementation of the Guiding Principles. That could help close a significant information gap on the level of implementation of the Guiding Principles, and support capacity-building with States. E. Labour 43. The International Labour Organization (ILO) continues to contribute to the implementation of all three pillars of the Guiding Principles as part of its specific mandate within the United Nations system, drawing on its tripartite structure and standard-setting and supervisory machinery. ILO continues to provide technical support on the protection of workers’ rights and sustainable enterprise development to its tripartite constituents in its member States. It also builds the capacity of employers’ and workers’ organizations on a 10

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents