A/HRC/29/18 fund in the area of business and human rights should be flexible enough to allow for the development of region-specific tools for enhancing corporate human rights due diligence, as well as support communities that have been negatively affected by corporate activities. In yet another submission, it was proposed that a fund should support implementation activities linked to the establishment of national action plans on business and human rights, while noting that civil society activities were, in some cases, part of such initiatives. 10. In other submissions, specific priorities were proposed, including: (a) increasing the capacity of indigenous peoples and other marginalized stakeholders on issues relating to business and human rights; (b) facilitating greater access to relevant reports and documents, including through translation into national and indigenous languages; and (c) ensuring broader participation of indigenous peoples and marginalized groups at relevant United Nations and related meetings. In one submission, the importance of supporting human rights defenders in carrying out their work was reiterated, in particular with regard to documenting the impact of corporations and ensuring access to effective remedies. 11. Some stakeholders proposed that a new fund should prioritize strengthening the capacities of the most disadvantaged groups, including indigenous peoples, through activities such as: (a) training for indigenous peoples and disadvantaged groups on the contents and utilization of the Guiding Principles; (b) activities, designed in partnership with indigenous peoples, for State and private actors relating to indigenous peoples’ rights in the context of the business activities that have an impact on them; (c) research on the implementation of the Guiding Principles, including with a view to reviewing and improving existing implementation mechanisms; and (d) monitoring and documentation of cases of business activities that have had an impact on the rights of indigenous peoples and dissemination of reports for awareness-raising and advocacy purposes. 12. With respect to the duration of the project, funds and recipient profiles, in one submission it was proposed that the fund should prioritize multi-year capacity-building projects rather than shorter term, one-off projects or activities, and suggested that the fund could establish a budget range of $10,000–$50,000 for projects, including multi-year projects of one to three years’ duration. In another submission, it was stressed that the fund should be accessible to a wide variety of organizations, including, as proposed in the feasibility study, civil society organizations, business networks, trade unions, think tanks, national human rights institutions and other organizations that conduct awareness-raising and training activities. B. Stakeholder views on the structure of a new fund 13. The consultations undertaken for the feasibility study highlighted a diversity of stakeholder views on the most effective structure of a fund aimed at building capacity in the area of business and human rights. As noted in the study, in a large majority of submissions it was indicated that OHCHR should be a key actor in administering such a fund. Some stakeholders stated that the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises should play a central role in shaping the fund’s strategic approach. In a number of submissions, the importance of ensuring an efficient governance structure and limiting administrative costs was stressed (see A/HRC/26/20/Add.1, para. 39). 14. Similarly, the consultation process for the present report did not result in a clear consensus on the most desirable governance arrangement for a fund in the area of business and human rights. For example, although some States indicated a preference for a traditional voluntary trust fund that relied on existing structures, others focused on the importance of simple and effective procedures that would not discourage potential applicants, in particular civil society representatives, from seeking support through such a 4

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