A/HRC/26/20
continues to provide substantive and administrative support to the Working Group, and
collaborates closely with the Working Group in its own programme on business and human
rights to ensure the complementarity of efforts and avoid duplication.
17.
The previous report of the Secretary-General found that the issue of business and
human rights is not yet part of mainstream United Nations operations, not even within the
human rights system itself. The report recommended that the Guiding Principles should be
embedded, where appropriate, in the policy-setting agenda of the Chief Executives Board
for Coordination and its subsidiary bodies (A/HRC/21/21 and Corr.1, paras. 28 and 29).
18.
In the intervening period, OHCHR has advocated for the integration of the business
and human rights agenda into key Office-wide efforts, in particular related to the
sustainable development agenda. OHCHR also organized a high-level panel at the Council
with representatives from United Nations agencies, funds and specialized programmes, to
discuss the role of the United Nations system in advancing the business and human rights
agenda in the context of the post-2015 sustainable development goals. However, owing to
significant capacity constraints, the efforts have not succeeded in achieving effective and
appropriate integration of the Guiding Principles and the business and human right agenda
into key coordination mechanisms. Further work by OHCHR is needed, in particular on
including the Guiding Principles as a theme in the human rights mainstreaming
mechanisms.
V.
Dissemination and capacity-building
19.
OHCHR has continued its efforts to build capacity on the business and human rights
agenda both within the United Nations system and with external actors. In 2013, OHCHR
launched an online training tool on the principles for responsible contracts, which were
addended to the Guiding Principles (A/HRC/17/31/Add.3, annex) and provide practical
guidance to negotiators of State-investor contracts. OHCHR has also developed a
comprehensive training package on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,
together with a publication that provides introductory guidance to stakeholders through
responses to “frequently asked questions”, which will be launched in 2014. Those efforts
follow the publication of a booklet containing the text of the Guiding Principles and the
OHCHR Interpretative Guide on the Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights,7
which are in high demand by all stakeholders seeking to understand and implement the
Guiding Principles.
20.
Increasing capacity and interest are also seen at the country level, where several
OHCHR country offices monitor and address the human rights impacts of business
activities. OHCHR has also undertaken capacity-building at the country level with
government officials and other stakeholders upon request. Following observations from
field offices and a review of global trends in the human rights landscape, the issue of
human rights in the economic sphere, which includes business and human rights, has been
selected as one of six thematic strategies for OHCHR for the 2014–2017 cycle.
21.
The Office also continues to work closely with the Global Compact, including by
participating in the secretariat of the Global Compact’s Human Rights and Labour Working
Group.8
7
8
6
HR/PUB/12/02, 2012.
For more information on that work, see
www.unglobalcompact.org/Issues/human_rights/Human_Rights_Working_Group.html.
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