Upcoming Workshops: Implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights

June 2011, the UN adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, written by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. One of the implications of the principles is that businesses are expected to respect human rights in their company and in their supply chains. But what does this mean and how do you accomplish this?

The training answers these questions. It will provide understanding on:

• Content, scope  and implications of the Guiding Principles  
• How can companies meet their responsibility to respect human rights  
• Distinguishing whether a company has caused, contributed to or is linked to negative human rights impacts, and what actions are expected of the company as a response
• Avoiding negative impacts in the supply chain through collaborative approaches and mutual buyer-supplier responsibility  
• Key human rights risks and how to prioritize among them
• The business case for human rights 

Additionally the course will introduce a six-step method on how to implement a supply chain management system that integrates the respect for human rights. The six steps are:

1.     Committing to a human rights policy

2.     Assessing human rights impact

3.     Integrating human rights in policies, procedures and responsibilities

4.     Tracking human rights implementation

5.     Communicating human rights impact

6.     Remediating adverse human rights impacts

Expected Participants

The training is applicable to companies in any industry and size. It is designed for use by senior management, as well as professionals in the human resources, corporate social responsibility, compliance and sourcing departments. In addition, the training is also intended for CSR experts and consultants who train or advise companies, as well as for NGO, trade union and government representatives to learn about the implications of the Guiding Principles on their work.

Trainers

The training in Brussels will be carried out by SAI Trainer Edwin Koster, and the Sao Paulo training will be carried out jointly by SAI Trainers Edwin Koster and Beat Grüninger. Mr. Koster heads Max Value, SAI's Authorized Representative office in Europe. He has broad experience in sustainable supply chain management and is the co-author of the Handbook and Toolkit used in the Training. Mr Grüninger is a partner of BSD Group and Director of BSD Brazil, SAI's Authorized Representative office in São Paulo. He has been acting for several years as a consultant for Fair Trade USA and is currently a local manager leading a Fair Trade USA/USAID Responsible Sourcing Project in Brazil.  

Hosts

In Brussels, the training will be generously hosted by the European Investment Bank (EIB). EIB is the European Union's bank, the only bank owned by and representing the interests of the European Union Member States. EIB supports projects that make a significant contribution to growth, employment, economic and social cohesion and environmental sustainability in Europe and beyond.  Website: http://www.eib.org