Commission launches first Business and Human Rights Forum

Tuesday, 9 August: The Human Rights Commission will officially launch the three-day Business and Human Rights Forum at Parliament tonight, where world-leading experts on business and human rights will provide the key note address.

Rachel Davis, Managing Director of Shift, the organisation that helped craft the United Nation’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, will speak at the event and will also be facilitating Forum sessions.

Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, Dr Jackie Blue says Shift’s visit will be invaluable to businesses taking part in the forum, and the Human Rights Commission.

“We’ve had a great response from a wide range of businesses wanting to take part in the Forum. Having Shift here to help facilitate this event is a real coup, with participants getting access to the world-leading experts in this space.

“We have representation from some of New Zealand’s largest companies taking part in our Investors and Directors Workshop, our Business Leaders Breakfast and our Practitioners Workshop and all government departments represented at our Government Roundtable.

With the calibre of people in the room, the Commission is really excited about the conversations that will be taking place over the next few days.

“This forum is about facilitating an honest dialogue about human rights in the workplace. It will be great to hear from kiwi businesses who are already making positive changes to address and prevent human rights abuses as well as those businesses who are not there yet but looking for practical tools and strategies they can implement.” Dr Jackie Blue says.

Brent Wilton, Director Global Workplace Rights for Coca Cola, is also speaking at the launch and a number of key events throughout the week.

Dr Jackie Blue says, “As a country that is dependent on our ability to trade on the world stage, New Zealand businesses and government departments need to look at how they are managing human rights risks.

“Having experts like Rachel Davis and Brent Wilton here to help get us on the right track will be an important part of our future success.”

The Business and Human Rights forum is being held from 9 to 11 August. The launch at Parliament and a Government Roundtable are both being held in Wellington and the CEO Breakfast, the workshop for investors and directors and the workshop for CSR practitioners will be held in Auckland.

For more information and to register for these events, please visit: https://www.hrc.co.nz/new-zealand-business-and-human-rights-forum

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