Oxfam and the Institute for Human Rights of the University of the Philippines (UP-IHR) co-hosted an “ASEAN Consultation Workshop on Civil Society role towards the implementation of UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights.” Held in Quezon City, Philippines, on 12 February 2016, the event was attended by over 40 civil society leaders from around the region and invited representatives from the government and private sectors.

Partiipants at the Workshop

Malaysia's experience in pursuing NAP

Dato Prof. Aisha Bidin, commissioner of Malaysian human rights agency SUHAKAM, was the keynote speaker and shared her country’s experience in pursuing a National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights (BHR). Malaysia recently issued a strategy paper detailing their commitment to develop a NAP and the process that will support it. She emphasised the need for broad stakeholder engagement, both within government and with relevant groups, to ensure that the resulting National Action Plan is accepted and implementable. Prof. Bidin expressed support for any process that encourages the development of NAPs in the region.


Dato Prof. Aisha Bidin sharing information about Malaysia's experience in pursuing a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights

Takeaways from report to UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

Jerry Bernas, Programme Director of ASEAN CSR Network, delivered a presentation on the key takeaways and recommendations resulting from a report jointly prepared with the Singapore Management University’s Asian Business & Rule of Law Initiative to the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. The report aims to provide a Global South perspective on the implementation guidelines for NAPs and is a product of extensive consultations conducted in both Asia/ASEAN and Africa.

Mr/ Jerry Bernas speaking to participants at the ASEAN Conslultation Workshop

Mr. Bernas highlighted that the development of NAPs should be seen as an opportunity to address context-specific concerns regarding business and human rights and provide a means for getting buy-in and support from key stakeholders. Some recommendations from the report include the need to consider the extraterritorial application of business and human rights obligations, how NAPs can be used to assess and improve investment treaties and investment laws, and the importance of engaging with the business sector to build on existing corporate responsibility initiatives and frameworks. A copy of the full report is available for download at http://business-humanrights.org/sites/default/files/documents/CALS-SMU-Coalition-third-submission-on-NAPs-Oct-2015.pdf

Group discussions to identify challenges in developing NAPs

Participants engaged in focused group discussions in an effort to identify the key challenges to developing NAPs, map key stakeholders that need to be engaged, plot existing activities and initiatives that can be leveraged, and develop a shared objective and vision for civil society groups wishing to help push for NAPs. Outputs from the workshop will be prepared and shared by UP-IHR and Oxfam. Please email KOnsrithong@oxfam.org.uk for more details of the workshop.

Focused group discussions taking place at the ASEAN Consultation Workshop

Group photo of participants at the ASEAN Consultation Workshop on Civil Society role towards implementation of UNGP on BHR