Holding the private sector accountable for sustainable development and human rights. A call for government action
Side Event of the UN Financing for Development Forum, UN HQ, New York City,
Tuesday, 19th April, 6 – 7.30pm, Conference Room E
Heads of State and Government leaders adopted the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) in July 2015, which included specific references to private sector responsibility, accountability and the need for guidelines that provide greater alignment with sustainable development principles and human rights frameworks (paragraphs 37, 38 and 48). This UN Financing for Development Forum side event will discuss:
Initiatives for ensuring that private sector accountability and its human rights impact are central in national strategies, tools and instruments for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
The role of investors in advocating for an increasing number of companies reporting ESG as well as integrated reporting formats;
Recent developments in guidelines and standards for PPPs being discussed at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Bank Group, among other forums, although neither of these efforts meet commitments included in the AAAA.
Potential challenges and the way forward at the global, regional and national levels in strengthening the connection between private sector accountability and human rights due diligence processes, to ensure the comprehensive and equitable participation of the private sector in the implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda.
Updates on the important process in the HRC on elaborating an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
The gender equality and women’s rights impacts of lacking corporate accountability and why women’s economic empowerment and access to finance and assets alone is not enough.
Speakers: Olivier Brochenin, Sub-Director, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, France; Daniel Platz, UN DESA, co-author of the working paper ‘Public-private partnerships and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Fit for purpose?’ Steve Waygood, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, AVIVA Investment; Ranja Sengupta, Third World Network; Stefano Prato, SID, CSO FfD Group
Moderator: Eva Hanfstaengl, Bread for the World/ ACT Alliance
The event will be live streamed on Twitter via @FfDForum
Organizers: the CSO Financing for Development (FfD) Group (including the Women’s Working Group on FfD) with the following facilitating organisations: Bread for the World, the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad), Center of Concern, Christian Aid, Society for International Development (SID), Third World Network and the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID).
Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) MECHANISM 