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Accelerating business respect for human rights

 Join us as we accelerate the integration of respect for human rights and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) within Australian businesses.

Become part of our new Business & Human Rights Accelerator to identify and mitigate your adverse human rights impacts, develop a business-ready action plan, plan engagement with key stakeholders and rightsholders, and build an effective grievance process.

In collaboration with

With local support from

Programme Overview

The idea of universal human rights is as simple as it is powerful: that all people have the right to be treated with dignity. Businesses often impact the human rights of their employees and contract workers, workers in their supply chains, the communities around their operations and even the end users of their products or services. Whether directly or indirectly, they impact virtually the entire spectrum of internationally recognized human rights.

As a result, companies have both a responsibility and an opportunity to advance human rights across operations, supply chains and beyond.

Is your company able to demonstrate that it respects internationally proclaimed human rights, and that it is not complicit in human rights abuses?

Programme Benefits

The Business & Human Rights Accelerator is a six-month programme activating companies participating in the UN Global Compact across all industries and regions. In Australia, our tailored hands-on programme will help you move from commitment to action on human rights and labour rights through establishing an ongoing human rights due diligence process.

What you will learn

  • How to identify your responsibilities in respecting human rights and labour rights, expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
  • How to establish an ongoing human rights due diligence process in line with international standards
  • How to report and communicate on your human rights due diligence journey, including through the Communication on Progress, the annual public disclosure requirement for all UN Global Compact participants

What you will gain

  • An understanding of where your company is on integrating respect for human rights
  • An assessment of actual and potential adverse human rights impacts and the ability to prioritize action
  • The ability to mitigate your human rights impacts, including grievance mechanisms and remedy
  • Ways to engage stakeholders on business impacts
  • An action plan to advance human rights in your company and beyond
  • A network of peers, UN partners and experts to support your human rights journey and work collectively to tackle persistent barriers to human rights due diligence
  • A certificate demonstrating completion of programme

Expressions of interest for the 2024 Business & Human Rights Accelerator programme

The 2023 programme is currently underway.

The 2024 programme will run from approximately February 2024 to July 2024.

As part of the Business & Human Rights Accelerator programme, your company will receive:

   Guidance and inspiration

   Knowledge and training sessions

   Peer-to-peer collaboration

   Hands-on support

REGISTER INTEREST

The Learning Experience

Stage One

Participants understand the UN Global Compact Principles and the human rights due diligence process and scope out a core area of the value chain for further focus.

  • Global kick-off webinar
  • E-learning course on “How companies can operationalize the UN Guiding Principles, Module 1”
  • Global deep dive session on UNGP core concepts, human rights due diligence and facilitation of the Responsibility to Respect Human Rights’ gap analysis tool
  • Local Network facilitated peer-learning session
  • Participant working session to complete the UNGP gap analysis tool
Stage Two

Participants scope the company value chain and identify potential impacts.

 

  • E-learning course on “How companies can operationalize the UN Guiding Principles, Module 2″
  • Global deep dive session on understanding salient human rights, identifying risk factors, where to find risk information and how to map the value chain and determine focus areas
  • Local Network facilitated peer-learning session
  • Participant working session to complete value chain mapping tool and risk identification matrix
Stage Three

Participants prioritize salient human rights impacts and understand their involvement with those impacts.

 

  • E-learning course on “How companies can operationalize the UN Guiding Principles, Module 3”
  • Global deep dive session on prioritizing potential impacts, understanding severity and likelihood and how to plot impacts on the risk heat map
  • Local Network facilitated peer learning session
  • Participant working session on completing the risk heatmap

Stage Four

Participants start implementing and tracking their human rights action plan.

 

  • Global deep dive session on developing an appropriate action plan based on at least one salient impact identified with articulation of desired outcomes and high-level metrics
  • Local Network facilitated peer-learning session
  • Participant working session on completion of action plan for one salient impact, including metrics

Stage Five

Participants understand how to effectively engage affected stakeholders and communicate their impacts.

 

  • Global deep dive session on communicating with a range of stakeholders, both within and external to the business and examine the components of effective communication, including formal disclosure processes
  • Local Network facilitated peer learning session
  • Participant working session on starting a communication plan and stakeholder engagement plan

Stage Six

Participants understand remedy and grievance mechanisms.

 

  • E-learning course on “How companies can operationalize the UN Guiding Principles, Module 4”
  • Global deep dive session on the different types of remedy and pathways for providing remedy including operational level grievance mechanisms that support the broader hrdd process
  • Local Network facilitated peer learning session including best practice case studies
  • Participant working session to complete the grievance gap analysis and develop a remedy plan

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the Business & Human Rights Accelerator?
The Business & Human Rights Accelerator is a 6-month programme which aims to support the global business community in their journey to respect human rights. It will do this by modeling the human rights due diligence process through a series of technical and peer learning sessions, and working with participating companies to set concrete targets to address their own salient human rights issues. Run in collaboration with Global Compact Local Networks, the Business & Human Rights Accelerator will reach companies at scale and seeks to raise the collective impact of business towards respecting human rights and labour rights globally.
When does the Business & Human Rights Accelerator start?
The Accelerator programme will commence with an opening webinar in February 2023. The exact start date of Local Network sessions is to be confirmed.
Why should my company participate in the Business & Human Rights Accelerator?
The corporate responsibility to respect human rights applies to all companies, regardless of size, sector or location. It is also quickly becoming a business norm, with various governments taking action to require businesses to demonstrate they are taking their human rights responsibilities seriously.
Human rights are inherent to all people. Businesses too have a role to promote dignity and equality for all by respecting human rights and labour rights. Beyond being the right thing to do, all businesses around the world are expected to respect human rights, reflected in increasing legislation and regulatory requirements. Participating companies will access on-demand and expert-led training and capacity building sessions, learn from global best practices and engage in peer-to-peer learning at the local level.
What are the benefits of participating in the programme?
Companies that participate in the Business & Human Rights Accelerator will:
▪ Be able to determine where they are on their human rights integration process
▪ Advance the maturity of their human rights due diligence
▪ Be able to engage directly affected stakeholders on business human rights impacts
▪ Be able to develop an action plan to mitigate their salient human rights impacts
▪ Understand grievance mechanisms and remedy
▪ Be able to report and communicate on their human rights due diligence undertaken
What is the time commitment?
Participants will need to commit approximately 50 hours over the six-month programme period.
What is the eligibility criteria for company participation?
The UN Global Compact invites companies everywhere to join the Business & Human Rights Accelerator. In order to take part, companies are required to be participating companies of the UN Global Compact and currently engaged with a Global Compact Local Network in their region or willing to join one.
Who from the company should participate?
Two company representatives (ideally from sustainability, human resources, supply chain sustainability and/or corporate risk management) may participate in the Accelerator activities and events. Additionally, an executive-level “ambassador” will be required to follow programme developments, provide support and participate in high-level events.
What is the cost of participation?

A small fee to participate in the Business & Human Rights Accelerator will apply for all UN Global Compact participants:

Corporate Participants: AUD$1450.00 + GST
SME Participants: AUD$750.00 + GST

Is the accelerator relevant for small, medium and large enterprises?

We recognize that enterprises have different impacts on human rights and labour rights. Further, companies are at varying levels of maturity on their business and human rights journey. We therefore encourage businesses of all sizes to consider the Business & Human Rights Accelerator and utilize the opportunity to start a due diligence process or further work already in progress.

My company already has a human rights due diligence process. Is the Business & Human Rights Accelerator an appropriate programme for us to participate in?
Yes. Companies that already have a human rights due diligence process in place will benefit from engaging with experts and engaging in peer-to-peer learning. In addition to understanding how to take action on the UNGPs and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, companies will also be able to effectively complete the UN Global Compact Communication on Progress.
Further, companies with truly inspiring best practice may also be invited to share their case studies on Global platforms and at relevant events.
Can non-business UN Global Compact participants join the accelerator?
While the programme is designed for business, non-business participants with expertise and knowledge relevant to business and human rights are encouraged to discuss opportunities to support the accelerator with their Global Compact Local Network representative.
What is the difference between the local and the global track of the Business & Human Rights Accelerator?
In-country track: The in-country track is available in more than 30 countries, where the program will be run in collaboration with Global Compact Local Networks around the world. This track will be facilitated in the local language and local time zone where possible. It will offer a series of live and on-demand sessions, hands-on support, interactive workshops, and peer-to-peer networking. Companies will be grouped with participants from their own country. Participants of the in-country track get access to global track sessions and in-country sessions.
Africa Track: The Africa track will bring together companies from the continent and offer the same curriculum as the in-country track delivered through a series of global and on-demand sessions. Peer-to-peer sessions will focus on regional best practice and case studies.
Latin America track: The Latin America track will bring together companies from the region and offer the same curriculum as the in-country track delivered through a series of global and on-demand sessions. Peer-to-peer sessions will focus on regional best practice and case studies.

Global track: The global track will be facilitated in English, and it will offer the same curriculum content as the in-country track delivered through a series of global live and on-demand sessions. This global track will be available in countries where an in-country track is not available. Space is limited. Please apply early.

My company is not based in a country where there is a participating Global Compact Local Network. How can we take part in the Business & Human Rights Accelerator?
For the in-country track, only companies based in countries where the Global Compact Local Network is running the Accelerator can participate. Note that companies must be members of the Local Network to take part. To learn more about how to join a Local Network, please click here. If a company is not based in a country with a Local Network that is running the Business & Human Rights Accelerator, it can sign up to the global track of the accelerator. Please read “What is the difference between the global and local track” for more information.
How do I register to participate in the Business & Human Rights Accelerator?
Please visit our website at unglobalcompact.org/bhr-accelerator to register for the Accelerator.
What are the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights?
The UN Guiding Principles are the authoritative global standard on business and human rights, unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011. The 31 principles set expectations of states and companies about how to prevent and address negative impacts on human rights by business. They apply to all states and all businesses worldwide and today are being implemented by companies, governments and their stakeholders on every continent.
Questions? Please contact Chris Caskey, Manager, Human Rights for further details.

Participating companies:

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