Learning and sharing
More than 30 domestic and foreign experts and scholars attended the workshop. Apart from scholars from 11 Chinese universities, the event also attracted representatives from law firms, China Textile Information Center, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Metals, Minerals and Chemicals, Shenzhen Institute of Contemporary Society, and government agencies.
The main topics included human rights due diligence legislation and policy research, theory and practice of business and human business, UN and business and human rights, the role of enterprises in ensuring corporate respect for human rights, as well as global protection mechanisms on business and human rights.
The third session about the UN and Business and Human Rights was chaired by Professor Gudmundur Alfredsson. Five experts from the fields of academia, industry, civil society and human rights from China and abroad shared their views on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and the business and human rights in the work of the UN Human Rights Commission. Professor Bård Anders Andreassen from the NCHR held a talk about Human Rights Assessment and Due Diligence.
By engaging in discussion and exchanging their researched and practical experience, many participants reported to have learned a lot about the core issues of business and human rights during this workshop.
Better understanding about business and human rights standards in China
This workshop and the larger cooperation program on business and human rights between the NCHR and CUPL aim to bring together academic and business sectors to discuss and share their views on the UNGPs and to promote better understanding of business and human rights standards in China. It will hopefully also encourage more education and research on business and human rights topics among the targeted groups in China.