A/HRC/38/49
women faced when speaking up and submitting complaints, and to give them access to
adequate and transformative remedies.
V. Closing plenary and general recommendations
81.
The overall message in the speeches made by speakers during the closing
plenary was the recognition that many business enterprises had made progress in
implementing the Guiding Principles, even though wider and more comprehensive
action by businesses and Governments was urgent.
82.
Participants in the closing session heard commitments from the Government of
Malaysia to develop a national action plan on business and human rights in 2018, and
from the CEO of the bank BNP Paribas to withdraw financing of oil and gas extracted
from tar sands and of tobacco production because of human rights considerations
based on its commitment to the Guiding Principles and other international standards.
The United Nations Global Compact reiterated its commitment to prioritize the
promotion of human rights in its engagement with the business sector through
enhanced learning platforms on how business could meet its responsibility to respect
and by promoting the implementation of the Guiding Principles in business activities
and value chains.
83.
Key messages from stakeholders on the way forward included the call made by
the indigenous peoples’ caucus upon States to ensure rapid progress in realizing the
three pillars of protect, respect and remedy, and to integrate the protection of
indigenous peoples in their national action plans; to take steps to address the barriers
to justice and remedy for business-related human rights impacts experienced by
indigenous peoples across the world; and for businesses to step up action both to
prevent impacts on indigenous peoples and to meet their responsibility to remediation
when indigenous peoples are harmed by business operations.
84.
Global unions called for collective efforts to scale up awareness and action
beyond policy level on the Guiding Principles. In order to achieve meaningful
implementation of the Guiding Principles from the perspective of workers around the
world, Governments and businesses should address modern slavery and ensure
freedom of association, decent wages and safe workplaces. Global framework
agreements involving unions were an effective tool that should be employed more
widely. All businesses should undertake effective human rights due diligence, while
States should take legal and administrative measures to ensure access to remedy for
workers and create binding legal frameworks.
85.
OECD called upon Governments to ensure more effective policy coherence
between human rights obligations and business-oriented policies, and to improve
access to non-judicial remedy by providing adequate resources to allow national
contact points to be effective.
86.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized the
urgent need to stand up for human rights. He called upon all stakeholders, in
particular States and businesses, to take strong action in combating discrimination,
hate and violence, and encouraged civil society actors to continue to fight for the
rights of people affected by human rights violations and abuse.
87.
The Working Group attempted to summarize some of the key messages
emerging from Forum discussions in a “2020 road map”:
(a)
Making a commitment to implementing the Guiding Principles is an
initial critical step for States and companies to take. This in itself, however, is not
sufficient. Concrete short- and long-term action must be taken to apply the “Protect,
Respect and Remedy” framework to prevent and address human rights abuse;
(b)
All States should develop national action plans by means of inclusive
processes that involve both businesses and civil society and with a focus on the word
“action”; in this regard, the Working Group also noted the need to improve existing
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