Osgoode Hall Law School convenes Expert Consultation in Support of Corporate Law Tools Project of UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights
TORONTO, October 27, 2009 --York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School is convening next month’s Expert Consultation on Corporate Law and Human Rights: Opportunities and Challenges of Using Corporate Law to Encourage Corporations to Respect Human Rights.
The expert consultation, which is being held November 5 and 6, 2009 at Osgoode Professional Development Centre, will bring together corporate lawyers, civil society, academics, government regulators and industry representatives in support of the Corporate Law Tools Project of Harvard University Professor John Ruggie, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights (SRSG).
“This is an extraordinarily important event and Osgoode is honoured to be a part of it,” said Osgoode Professor Aaron Dhir, Co-Convenor of the expert consultation with Professor Sara Seck of the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law.
Dhir said the multi-stakeholder group of experts will discuss how key corporate and securities law concepts such as incorporation and listing, directors’ duties, reporting, shareholder engagement, and other corporate governance issues as expressed in national laws and guidelines may support companies to respect human rights.
“By discussing existing law as well as legal and policy reform options, the consultation will help to inform the SRSG as he decides whether to make recommendations to states and other actors in this area,” Seck said.
UN Special Representative Ruggie said he anticipates that the two-day consultation, which is by invitation only, will result in “a robust discussion of ideas from all points of view on the extent to which corporate and securities law can be a tool for governments to assist and encourage companies to respect human rights.”
The SRSG was appointed in 2005 by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan with a broad mandate to identify and clarify standards of corporate responsibility and accountability regarding human rights, including the role of states.
In June 2008, after extensive global consultation with business, governments and civil society, the SRSG proposed a policy framework for managing business and human rights challenges. It is based on three pillars: the state duty to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including business; the corporate responsibility to respect human rights; and greater access to remedy, judicial and non-judicial. The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) was unanimous in welcoming the framework, and extended the SRSG’s mandate by three years with the task of operationalizing it. More information about the SRSG’s 2008 and 2009 HRC reports is available here.
Earlier this year, Ruggie announced that 19 leading corporate law firms from around the world would participate in the UN-led effort to identify whether and how national corporate law principles and practices currently foster corporate cultures respectful of human rights. Ruggie plans to publish a compilation and analysis of the findings of the firms’ mapping work, with some firm reports already available. Then, through consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including at the Osgoode expert consultation, he will consider whether to make any recommendations to states and businesses in this area.
Dhir and Seck have received assistance in the planning and implementation of the consultation from the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security at Osgoode, the Hennick Centre for Business and Law at Osgoode and the Schulich School of Business. The event is being supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with the assistance of Export Development Canada and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
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For more information, please contact:
Professor Aaron Dhir
Expert Consultation Co-Convenor
Osgoode Hall Law School of York University
416-736-5224
Professor Sara Seck
Expert Consultation Co-Convenor
University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law
519-661-2111, ext. 81567
Virginia Corner
Communications Manager
Osgoode Hall Law School of York University
416-736-5280
