16 November 2015, 10-11:20 AM
Room XXII

National human rights institutions (NHRIs) provide a critical link between the international human rights framework and the domestic application of those rights. Over recent years, NHRIs have increased their efforts in the area of business and human rights: they encourage respect for human rights by business, in particular through advising government on the legal and policy framework. They also play a significant role in remedying human rights violations by investigating complaints and conducting national inquiries. This panel with speakers from all regions will present their concrete experience in complaints-handling and discuss prospects for further engagement of NHRIs in the area of access to remedy.

Speakers

• Ms. Jacqueline Etongue Mayer, Secretary General, National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Cameroon
• Mr. Enrique Guadarrama López, Second Commissioner, National Commission of Human Rights, Mexico
• Ms. Minerva Martínez Garza, President, Comision Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Nueva Leon, CEDHNL, Mexico
• Ms. Aishah Bidin, Commissioner, Malaysia Mr. Christopher Schuller, Policy Adviser, German Institute for Human Rights

Chair: Prof. Gillian Triggs, President, Australian Human Rights Commission

Moderator: Mr. Mauricio Lazala, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

Key discussion questions

• What is the role of NHRIs in enhancing accountability and access to remedy in cases of business involvement in human rights abuses?
• How do NHRIs engage with other grievance mechanisms such as national contact points, ombudsman offices and non state-based mechanisms and those at the company or industry level? How do we achieve coherence across these mechanisms?
• How do NHRIs achieve systemic outcomes through their complaint handling and investigative functions?
• Beyond complaint handling mechanisms, what measures can NHRIs take to improve the right to effective remedy for business-related abuses, for example, through the conduct of national baseline studies, and other steps towards National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights?
• What opportunities exist for transnational cooperation between NHRIs to secure an effective remedy?

This is event is organised by the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (Mexico), the Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Nuevo León (Mexico) and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, in partnership with the ICC Working Group on Business & Human Rights.

Contacts

• Akhil Abraham, Australian Human Rights Commission, [email protected]
• Humberto Cantú Rivera, Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Nuevo León, [email protected], T +33 6 47374983