Irish Centre for Human Rights: ‘Illusions of Progress?’ National actions plans on business and human rights – 23 March, Galway

Date: 23 March 2018  

Time: 11am-3pm 

Venue: Room THB G011, Hardiman Building, National University of Ireland Galway 

 The Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway will host a half-day symposium exploring the role of national action plans in furthering the business and human rights agenda. Recent policy and practice shows that such national action plans have become the primary means of implementing the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights (2011). The Irish Government adopted its National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 in November 2017 on foot of recommendations by the European Commission and the United Nation Human Rights Council. In this context, the symposium will bring together a number of legal and policy experts working in the field of business and human rights who will discuss and explore the prospects and problems associated with such national action plans. The symposium will consider whether national business and human rights plans constitute an effective means of ensuring corporate respect for human rights or merely serve to give the illusion of progress. 

Symposium participants include: 

• Professor Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington; United Nations Working Group on business and human rights 
• Claudia Saller, Coordinator, European Coalition for Corporate Justice
• Dr Shane Darcy, Senior Lecturer, Irish Centre for Human Rights
• Dr Tara Van Ho, Lecturer, School of Law and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex 

There is no registration fee for the symposium but as places are limited, those wishing to attend should confirm their attendance by e-mailing: humanrights@nuigalway.ie  before 15 March 2018. A light lunch will be provided.

For further information here.