Bangkok (June 6-9th, 2023) —The United Nations Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum (UN RBHR) on the Asia-Pacific region from 6th to 9th June 2023. The forum aimed to promote responsible business practices in relation to human rights, bringing together stakeholders such as governments, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and trade unions. The forum theme was 'From Commitment to Action'.
The Opening Plenary of the event was moderated by Livio Sarandrea, UNDP's Business and Human Rights Global Policy Advisor, and the keynote speaker was Ms. Angkhana Neelapaijit, a women's human rights defender. The opening remarks were give by Ms. Pichamon Yeophantong, H.E. Mr Jon Åström Gröndahl, Mr. Aziz Iqbal, Ms. Farah Kabir, and Ms. Emiko Nagasawa.
The first remarks were given by Ms. Pichamon Yeophantong, the Chairperson and Member of the Asia-Pacific States on the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, who emphasized that sustainable development cannot be implemented without respecting human rights because human rights are a predicament for developing the SDG.
H.E. Mr. Jon Åström Gröndahl, the Swedish Ambassador to Thailand, discussed the importance of developing effective National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights (NAPs) and highlighted corruption as an under-discussed topic.
Mr. Aziz Iqbal, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Human Rights, Government of Pakistan, also shared insights on developing an effective NAP.