Strengthening Responsible Business Conduct at the Local Level

Background

The five Partnership member entities are part of the Alianza de Territorios Responsables América Latina-Europa (Alliance of Responsible Territories Latin America-Europe - ATRAE), a network that connects stakeholders involved in public policy work on Human Rights and Business (HRB) at the local level, created in 2021 in the framework of the Initiative co-financed by the ADELANTE Window 2021, 'Public policies for the promotion of Responsible Business Conduct at the local level'.

Given the joint interests and the trust established in the process, the Instituto de Derechos Humanos Pedro Arrupe de la Universidad de Deusto in Spain (Pedro Arrupe Human Rights Institute of the University of Deusto - IDHPA), the Government of Buenos Aires, the Government of the Province of Salta, and the Government of the Province of San Juan in Argentina have renewed their commitment to continue working together. The Government of Antioquia, Colombia, is the newest addition to the Partnership, and has been developing a public policy strategy on human rights and business (HRB) since 2017.

It is worth noting that the Government of Antioquia and IDHPA have been working together since 2020 on the project 'Promotion of responsible business in Colombia through departmental public policy', with co-financing from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, which in 2022 resulted in one of the first three 'Departmental Action Plans on Human Rights and Business'.

This Partnership has been joined by two collaborating entities that have a long history of commitment to the issues, as well as a history of joint work within the framework of the ADELANTE Window, which has strengthened and facilitated the work of Partnership entities. On the one hand, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - Regional Office for South America (OHCHR) will collaborate with its network in nine countries through the 'CERALC Fund for the Promotion of Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean'. On the other hand, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation - Technical Cooperation Office in Colombia will collaborate by lending its experience in the sector in eight priority territories in Colombia.

Entities and roles

First provider entities

Development challenges

Local entities, as part of the State, have an obligation to take the necessary measures to protect human rights from the impacts of business activities, as set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UN Working Group established Human Rights and Business action plans as the most appropriate way for public entities to meet this obligation; analysing risks and impacts, and defining actions to prevent, mitigate and remedy them.

The Initiative will draw on the expertise of the Partnership members to design a model for a Business and Human Rights and Responsible Business Conduct Action Plan that is tailored to the local context, and is aligned with local public policies and international standards and benchmarks, while remaining participatory and inclusive.

This Initiative aims to achieve capacity building among the Partnership's entities in order to create a model of a Human Rights and Business action plan for local entities, based on the model of the Government of Antioquia and the methodologies of the University of Deusto, focused on supporting companies in the area of Responsible Business Conduct.

Triangular approach

The Triangular Cooperation modality has proven to be highly effective for the development of locally-adapted solutions, as it offers mechanisms for harnessing knowledge at the source and responding to local challenges and contexts. Moreover, the willingness to collaborate with all types of actors from different geographical backgrounds, institutional mandates and roles has been particularly enriching. It will also enable work on the protection of human rights in relation to business activities, as this is an issue in which adopting a multidimensional, participatory and inclusive approach is sought.

Since 2017, the Government of Antioquia has been developing a working strategy on Human Rights and Business (HRB) public policies, which resulted in a Territorial Action Plan in 2022. It offers insightful reflections on the challenges facing the territory in terms of the relationship between business and human rights, how this affects sustainable development, growth and local resilience, and what measures to work on to address these.

In turn, the IDHPA has extensive experience in similar processes, providing an opportunity to  add a new perspective to the Partnership member entities, in addition to lending its experience in training to better focus the dynamics of the Initiative's activities.

The three entities in Argentina are facing different yet complementary challenges and needs, and therefore have useful experience to foster the joint construction of the Action Plan, which will be developed and shared with other territories that are expected to collaborate and join the ATRAE Network.

Sectoral approach - Contribution to the 2030 Agenda

Primary SDG

Goal 8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead

Goal 8.7 Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms

Secondary SDG

Goal 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities

ADELANTE SDG

Goal 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Goal 17.6 Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism

Territorial approach

Intervention methodology

The Initiative's work plan is based on the foundation of a strong and well-established relationship between the Partnership member entities and a history of collaboration that began in 2021. This has allowed them to harness not only the efforts made in the framework of the first Initiative, but also to start working immediately, following a clear roadmap.

An initial Partnership workshop will therefore be held to coincide with the study visit to Colombia, to participate in the 'VII UN Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights for Latin America and the Caribbean' in July 2022. Through this activity, information will be gathered on initiatives of particular interest, especially business support programmes, the extractive sector and gender in business management; giving the ATRAE Network greater visibility and providing the opportunity to engage other local entities.

Following this, a face-to-face seminar will be held in Medellín, Colombia, focused on learning about the experiences of different local entities in the design and implementation of human rights and business action plans. The Partnership member entities will discuss the challenges faced in the process of designing and implementing these plans, and will jointly formulate a methodological framework containing guidelines and recommendations, based on shared experiences that address these challenges.

In parallel, a consultancy will be carried out with experts in human rights, business and the construction of methodological frameworks, which will help synthesise the knowledge generated through the study visit and the seminar. The consultancy will also facilitate the development of the Action Plan by providing expertise on regulatory issues, trends, relevant initiatives, etc., providing additional insights to the Partnership.

Direct beneficiaries (individuals)

According to Rule 9 of the Guidelines for Applicants: all persons participating in the activities of the Initiative.

This Initiative will initially have 40 direct beneficiaries, who are mainly professionals from the Partnership's member entities involved in the planned activities.

Thanks to the awareness-raising and dialogue between the ATRAE Network and other entities in the framework of the Regional Forum in Medellín, it will be possible to broaden the scope of the direct beneficiaries by providing them with good practices that are likely to be adopted and applied by external parties (other governments, companies, CSOs, international organisations, citizens, etc.).

Budget

EU contribution: 81,428.38 €

Co-financing - Triangular Cooperation Partnership: 31,989.00 €

Total budget: 113,417.38 €

 

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