At last week’s UN Business and Human Rights Forum in Geneva, the World Benchmarking Alliance hosted a Development Dialogue session in collaboration with Prof. Surya Deva, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development. The discussion brought together representatives from governments, UN agencies, civil society, businesses, investors, and academia to reflect on how companies can respect human rights and contribute to a fair, inclusive, and sustainable global economy.
Drawing on five iterations of the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB), we shared key findings from assessing over 230 companies in high-risk sectors:
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Progress is possible: some companies have improved transparency and embedded stronger human rights policies.
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Gaps remain: especially in meaningful rightsholder engagement, where commitments often fall short of practice.
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Urgent action is needed: to ensure business respect for human rights is central to economic recovery and the Right to Development.
Speakers including Maria Isabel C. (The Consumer Goods Forum), Benjamin Chekroun (Candriam), Akiko Sato (Attorney-at-Law), myself and Talya Swissa (WBA), Marian G. Ingrams (OECD Watch), and Jhumki Dutta (Partners in Change) highlighted the importance of:
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Embedding the UN Guiding Principles into corporate strategies
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Strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration
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Addressing systemic barriers that marginalised communities face, particularly in the Global South
The conversation underscored a shared commitment: economic growth must go hand-in-hand with human rights due diligence and meaningful engagement with those most affected. Only then can we ensure no one is left behind.
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