HUMAN RIGHTS DISCLOSURE IN ASEAN

An assessment of human rights disclosure by the top 50 publicly listed companies in the stock exchanges of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand found that ASEAN found that the global business and human rights movement has brought about change in ASEAN, but there is a long road ahead.

Only a fraction of companies in ASEAN have taken the first step of exhibiting awareness, readiness, compliance and strategy relative to their responsibility to respect human rights. The collaborative study between ASEAN CSR Network, the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University and Article 30 measured companies against the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. By identifying disclosure gaps, presenting good examples from the region and highlighting points of leverage such as National Action Plans (NAPs) and stock exchange disclosure regulations, this study provides a baseline to map a new era of business and human rights in ASEAN.

Featured findings

  • Currently, human rights disclosure in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand falls substantially short of the international norm set in the UNGPs both in terms of extent and quality.
  • The presence of dedicated human rights policies serves as a strong indicator in determining whether a company has processes in place that live up to the standards the UNGPs call for.

Key recommendations

  • All stakeholders can seek ways to support the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in their efforts to embed the UNGPs into the GRI. The GRI already has significant traction in the region and can be leveraged as a vehicle to promote human rights disclosure.
  • National stock exchanges are a key determinant as to the type of information that ASEAN companies disclose. All parties would be well advised to consider ways to engage and advance the BHR agenda through these channels.
  • ASEAN initiatives and institutions can be catalysts of regional change. Promoting human rights disclosure would be a concrete first step to promote UNGP compliance in ASEAN. Develop clear guidelines and expectations that can be mainstreamed throughout the region.
  • National Action Plans should be utilized as vehicles to standardize human rights disclosure.
  • Disclosure is not an end but a starting point. It is important that the spirit of disclosure is to advance the BHR agenda and the principles that underlie it, including tripartism, stakeholder participation, accountability, transparency and collaboration.

You can click on the link to download -

The executive summary of the report

The full report

The press release

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Recommendations of the Regional Multi-stakeholder Forum: Responsible Business Conduct for Safe Labour Migration in ASEAN

 

The Regional Multi-Stakeholder Forum: Responsible Business Conduct for Safe Labour Migration in ASEAN was convened on 19-20 September 2018 in Pasay City, Manila, the Philippines.The Regional Multi-Stakeholder Forum: Responsible Business Conduct for Safe Labour Migration in ASEAN was convened on 19-20 September 2018 in Pasay City, Manila, the Philippines.

UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights: Human rights due diligence report

Background

The unanimous endorsement of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011 represented a watershed moment in efforts to tackle adverse impacts on people resulting from globalization and business activity in all sectors. They provided, for the first time, a globally recognized and authoritative framework for the respective duties and responsibilities of Governments and business enterprises to prevent and address such impacts.

The Guiding Principles clarify that all business enterprises have an independent responsibility to respect human rights, and that in order to do so they are required to exercise human rights due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address impacts on human rights.

Working Group report on human rights due diligence

In its report to the 2018 UN General Assembly, the Working Group on Business and Human Rights  highlights key features of human rights due diligence and why it matters; gaps and challenges in current business and Government practice; emerging good practices; and how key stakeholders — States and the investment community, in particular — can contribute to the scaling-up of effective human rights due diligence.

Human rights due diligence in practice is a major focus of the 2018 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights.

Download the Working Group report on human rights due diligence to the 2018 General Assembly here.
Download the key documents to the report here.

Reproduced from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

ASEAN Responsible Business Forum 2018 Post-Forum Report

 

The ASEAN Responsible Business Forum was held from 27 to 28 August 2018 in Singapore. This flagship event of the ASEAN CSR Network aims to enhance understanding of the role of responsible and inclusive business in creating an inclusive, resilient and sustainable ASEAN community.

Download the summary report of the event here.

 

Rountable on Financial Inclusion for MSMEs, 27 June 2018, Singapore

Roundtable on Financial Inclusion for MSMEs
  • Date: 27 June 2018
  • Time slot: 0930 - 1300
  • Venue: Grace Room (Level 2), Fort Canning Lodge, Singapore

ACN calls on businesses to respect and support children's rights

Little children are always lovely.  They are adorable.  They tell the truth, sometimes painfully and can get away with things we adults will never be forgiven.  Our hearts bled for them.  The concept of child rights is not new.  Yet the exploitation of children has continued to this day.  Why is this so?  What can we do about it?  Just because there had been shortcomings, we should not be weary in continuing to work for children.

Financing the Missing Middle in Southeast Asia

ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) and its project partner, AVPN, shared the findings of a recent piece of research about MSMEs in ASEAN, covering the level of support available to them with regards to access to finance, technical support and an enabling environment. The findings were presented to participants at the breakout session on Financing the Missing Middle in Southeast Asia of the AVPN Conference 2018 on 6 June 2018, making up mainly of impact investors and social entrepreneurs. A key finding of the research was the 'missing middle' phenomenon, where MSMEs in early- to growth-stage remain underserved by financiers. They typically exceed upper thresholds for smaller loans such as microfinance, and yet are perceived by financial institutions to be risky and costly customers.

ACN supports AICHR Interregional Dialogue: Sharing Good Practices on Business & Human Rights

With support from the ASEAN CSR Network (ACN), more than 100 participants from the region gathered at the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Interregional Dialogue on 4- 6 June 2018 in Bangkok to share best practices on business and human rights, covering issues ranging from progress made on National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights in ASEAN, to the role of financial institutions in human rights.

Regional Strategy on CSR and Human Rights in ASEAN

The Regional Strategy on CSR and Human Rights in ASEAN was drafted by ASEAN CSR Network, with inputs from two regional meetings in Singapore (Nov 2016) and Bangkok (June 2017). The document is based on internationally-accepted standards, particularly the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), recognising the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to achieving business and human rights in the region. The role of states, businesses, trade unions, civil society organisations and national human rights institutions are stated, in accordance with the 3 pillars of the UNGPs. ACN is working with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and other partners to see the Strategy adopted and implemented across ASEAN.

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Responsible Tourism and Human Rights in Myanmar Guideline For Hoteliers

This booklet was designed to support hoteliers to understand the meaning of adapting Human Rights principals into their daily business. It provides information on central aspects of responsible tourism as well as human rights and how they are connected with each other. The booklet gives examples of possible real life situations and recommendations on how to deal with them.

This booklet was produced by the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute, with aid from the ACN's Small Grant Fund.

Click the picture to view the report.

hoteliers

Responsible Business Conduct - Cambodia, Booklet (Eng & Khmer versions.)

This brochure was produced by the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), with help from the ACN's Small Grants Fund. The brochure provides an introduction to Responsible Business Conduct and business and human rights. It also gives an over view of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These two leading mechanisms can promote responsible business conduct and be used to hold corporations to account for their actions. This is not easy to achieve. CCC recommends impacted communities, civil society and workers first try to engage directly with the company to resolve grievances and address adverse impacts.

The brochure can be downloaded in both English and Khmer.

CCC RBC Booklet

CEDAW Impact Collection: Florida International University Library

FIU Library

Susanne Zwingel, Associate Professor, Dept. of Politics and International Relations, INR Graduate Program Director of the Florida International University would like to share an online resource that she has put together with the help of her students: a collection of domestic use of CEDAW, available here: http://libguides.fiu.edu/cedaw_impact

All of these sources document how diverse actors, including governments and civil society organizations, have used CEDAW at home. As you will see, sometimes this use is direct, sometimes more an "ingredient" in broader strategies. The organization of the collection is alphabetically per country, and within each country, the newest sources come first. Some (but not all) of the sources can be accessed directly online. 

Business and Human Rights in ASEAN: A Baseline Study

BHR Baseline Study This baseline study sheds light on the current legal situation with regard to business and human rights in ASEAN. The analysis is based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations "Protect, Respect and Remedy" Framework as they have been unanimously adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011. It is hoped that the study will assist governments in first identifying potential gaps with the UN Framework and - second- based on this analysis support the development of an action plan to bring the national legal framework into line with the UN Guiding Principles. To read the full report, click here.

An Introduction to Linkages between UN Global Compact Principles and ISO 260000 Core Subjects

The release of “ISO 26000: Guidance standard on social responsibility”gives a boost to ongoing efforts by the UN Global Compact to establish widespread common understanding of corporate responsibility principles. ISO 26000 and the UN Global Compact are connected by a fundamental belief that organizations should behave in a socially responsible way. This short publication provides a high-level overview of the key linkages between the UN Global Compact's Ten Principles and the core subjects of social responsibility defined by ISO 26000 (human rights, labour practices, the environment,fair operating practices, consumer issues, community involvement). To download the full publication, please either click on the left image or click here.

UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2014

This reports by UNODC covers 128 countries and provides an overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at global, regional and national levels, based on trafficking cases detected between 2010 and 2012 (or more recent). The Global Report 2014 highlights the role of organised crime in trafficking in persons, and includes an analytical chapter on how traffickers operate. The worldwide response to trafficking in persons is also a focus of this edition of the Global Report.

To download the full document click HERE.

Workshop on Corporate Social Responsibility & Human Rights in ASEAN - Outcomes of the AICHR Thematic Study

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Workshop on Corporate Social Responsibility & Human Rights in ASEAN - Outcomes of the AICHR Thematic Study

This is a summary of the discussions on the key findings of the Baseline Study for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Human Rights in ASEAN together with the presentations by the National Focal Points of ASEAN Member States on the state of play of CSR in the region.

To download the full document click here.

Baseline Study on the Nexus Between Corporate Social Responsibilty & Human Rights - An Overview of Policies & Practices in ASEAN

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Baseline Study on the Nexus Between Corporate Social Responsibilty & Human Rights - An Overview of Policies & Practices in ASEAN

This thematic study of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and human right is part of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights Five Years Work Plan. It provides an assessment on CSR as it relates to the promotion and protection of human rights in the ASEAN region

Authors: Thomas Thomas & Alexander Chandra, Study Team on Business & Human Rights of the ASEAN Intergovernmntal Commission on Human Rights

To download the full document click here.