The Global Compact Network Australia (GCNA) invites you to an introductory webinar on assessing human rights impacts, the second of four in our business and human rights ‘101’ webinar series.
We will be joined on the webinar by Megan Christensen, General Manager Stakeholder Engagement & Social Responsibility, Oil Search and Director, GCNA, and Sonya Rand, Community and Sustainability Manager, Coles. Vanessa Zimmerman, Director and Human Rights Leadership Group Chair for the GCNA will lead the webinar.
This webinar will provide an introduction to assessing human rights impacts – a critical part of human rights due diligence which is a key step for businesses in meeting the responsibility to respect human rights.
Assessing human rights impacts, whether through stand-alone or integrated assessments, helps companies meet their human rights responsibilities by providing a systematic way of identifying, prioritising and addressing human rights risks and opportunities at different levels (e.g. whole of business, country, site, business unit, product or issue).
This webinar will explore:
- The business case for assessing human rights impacts
- Key expectations of assessing human rights impacts under the UNGPs including around stakeholder engagement and transparency
- Different approaches to assessing human rights impacts
- How to identify and assess actual and potential adverse human rights impacts and issues around prioritisation
- Working with business partners around assessment
- Integrating impact assessment findings into the business
Why join?
Businesses face growing expectations from governments and regulators, NGOs, business partners, investors and other stakeholders to ‘know and show’ that they respect human rights both at home and abroad. Further building this momentum, in 2016, the Australian Government will begin formal consultations on a potential National Action Plan on business and human rights.
It is now critical for businesses to understand how to manage their human rights risks, and demonstrate that they are meeting their responsibilities. It is also important that businesses are equipped to participate in key policy discussions such as any forthcoming National Action Plan consultations. These webinars will bring businesses up to speed on the business and human rights agenda within Australia and globally, and outline the practical steps they need to take to manage their risks and meet their responsibilities on human rights.
Who should participate?
The webinar series is an essential core awareness-raising program for business on how to manage risks and meet growing stakeholder expectations around human rights. It is aimed at those new to business and human rights or looking for a refresher. While information will be provided about recent developments in the business and human rights field the series is targeted at those without extensive knowledge of the UNGPs. Other events will be held throughout the year to build on the series and to update members on new business and human rights initiatives and do some ‘deeper dives’ into specific issues.
The webinars are relevant for representatives from a wide range of business functions, including CSR / sustainability, community / stakeholder engagement, human resources, procurement, risk and compliance, legal and public affairs. The webinars are targeted at all sectors and companies operating both within and outside Australia. As a result they will not focus on any one thematic issue such as labour rights though relevant cross-sectoral examples will be brought into the discussion.
