Respecting, protecting and promoting human rights in the Human Rights Action Plan (2021-2025)
In September 2020, China published the latest human rights action plan for the period from 2021 to 2025, clearly setting the objectives and tasks of respecting, protecting and promoting human rights in the period. On Business & Human Rights, the Action Plan states that:
China will be “Promoting responsible business conduct in global supply chains. It will encourage Chinese businesses to abide by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in their foreign trade and investment, to conduct due diligence on human rights, and to fulfill their social responsibility to respect and promote human rights. It will participate and play a constructive role in negotiations on the UN business and human rights treaty”.
Chinese academics discussed the importance of Business and Human Rights in the new Action Plan
Supported by the NCHR, Research Institutes for Human Rights at Guangzhou University and Wuhan University have co-organized this academic seminar to discuss the importance of Business and Human Rights in the National Human Rights Action Plan. More than 40 experts and scholars participated in this hybrid seminar, including people from human rights research institutes, the business sector, international trade organisations, as well as anti-discrimination and equal protection organisations.
Through this meeting, participants reviewed the actual impact and conceptual inspiration of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and discussed the implementation of the provisions on business and human rights in the Action Plan (2021-2025). The seminar has promoted sharing and exchanging between researchers and practitioners who have been engaged in the business and human rights field for a long time. It will also contribute to the better understanding and respect for human rights in business, in line with the UN's Protect, Respect and Remedy' Framework.