2018 Joint Scientific and Applied Project
of the Center for Advanced Studies and Cooperation
on Human Rights in Economics of the Institute of Economic and
Legal Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
and
the Business & Human Rights Resource Center (United Kingdom)
“ADVANCED BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK:
DRIVERS FOR UKRAINE”
Project background: The issue of ensuring human rights in the business sector has become more and more important over the last decades. The phenomenon is explained inter alia, by intensification of globalization and European integration, the specific migration contexts. The complex of the recent international legal developments in the area, which also affect Ukraine, indicates the high relevance of these problems.
In particular, the international and European law norms and standards on human rights in economic activities are set out in a number of international conventions and strategic political-legal documents – the Resolution of the UN General Assembly “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” of 25 September 2015; the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework” of 16 June 2011; the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to Member States on Human Rights and Business of 2 March 2016; the Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groups; A renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for Corporate Social Responsibility of 2011; the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct updated in 2011, etc.
The policy, legislation and current practice of the state administration and economic management in Ukraine should be in line with the current international tendencies and requirements. The needs of the Ukrainian society in the progressive development, that must be realized also by means of implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2018-2021 and other international commitments, are the drivers on the way to the decent and prosperous life.
At the same time, the analytical and legal “audit” of strategic political, legal and regulatory acts, as well as monitoring of the human rights in business observance, prove for the lack of awareness of the Ukrainian society, politics, officials of various branches and levels of power, businessmen, social partners, academics and other stakeholders on the modern progressive principles of economic activity, based on the human rights values. The weak motivation to root them in Ukraine, the lack of appropriate skills, tools, etc. are quite clear.
Being convinced of the urgent need to promote the concept of ensuring human rights in economic activity, the Project partners shall start an assessment of the needs of Ukraine in the context of fulfilling its domestic and international obligations in this area with a special emphasis on modernizing the current legislation.
The proper evidence-based understanding of the drawbacks in the policy, legislation and practice as well as the acceptance of the paradigm of advantages that will follow the introduction of the internationally recognized principles of conducting economic activities with the human rights’ respect will help to identify the appropriate parameters for elimination of the drawbacks and advocate the relevant improvements, in particular legislative. The pro-active approach will promote the legal, social and economic developments in Ukraine. A specific focus will be applied to the human rights in business in the war-affected Eastern regions of Ukraine.
Project objective: to promote awareness raising and advance human rights in business in Ukraine through dissemination of relevant knowledge and development of the evidence and scientific-grounded arguments for policy and legislative developments.
Project activities will take place in several stages from April to October 2018.
The Project envisages the following steps:
- To implement the general legal and economic “audit”, analysis and monitoring of the national situation in the area of human rights in business;
- To hold working meetings / consultations / interviews with representatives of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities, business entities and social partners, with employees, civil society activists, researchers, experts, and management of international projects and programs, etc., with the aim to accumulate information, exchange opinions and experiences;
- To launch an Information Resource Fund of the Center for Advanced Studies and Cooperation on Human Rights in Economics, in particular – to collect, translate into the Ukrainian and systematise texts of the main international documents on human rights in business;
- To draft a number of brief research papers on the defined by the Project partners topics with recommendations and proposals related to the supplements of the national strategic political-legal acts, improvement of the current legislation and practice of its realization;
- To publish scientific articles on the results of scientific and applied research in the IELR NASU journal “Economics and Law”; other periodicals and mass media;
- To hold an international scientific and practical seminar on the Project topic; European experts are involved;
- To cover the Project activities on the web pages of the IELR NASU and the Business &Human Rights Resource Center.
The participants of the Project and the final seminar will be granted certificates issued jointly by the Institute of Economic and Legal Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Business & Human Rights Resource Center.
Project target audience: representatives of business entities and social partners, state legislative, executive and judicial authorities and local self-government bodies, employees, civil society activists, researchers and practitioners experienced in law and economics, mass media.