Fundamental Rights Forum 2021 | October 11 - October 12, 2021 | Vienna, Austria

Respecting rightsholders & defenders in business

New EU legislation on mandatory human rights & environmental due diligence by companies offers an opportunity to rebuild the post-COVID economy in a way that prioritises people and the planet. However, effective and safe engagement with local stakeholders & defenders, key to genuine due diligence, is currently not receiving enough attention. The session seeks to address this by sharing stakeholder experiences and prompting discussion to inform ways in which meaningful stakeholder engagement should be mandated to prevent violence against defenders and improve rightsholder outcomes at large. Stakeholders, NGO & business experts, policy makers, and members of the public are all welcome to join.

Speakers

• Phil Bloomer, Executive Director at Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
• Joan Carling, Executive Director at Indigenous Peoples Rights International-IPRI
• Heidi Hautala, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Member of the European Parliament in the Greens/EFA group
• Théo Jaekel, Corporate Responsibility Expert at Ericsson
• Eva Maria Anyango Okoth, Senior Program Officer at Natural Justice
• Eduardo Villarreal, Advocacy and Analysis Coordinator at ProDESC