National Human Rights Institutions and OECD National Contact Points strengthen engagement in the Americas

Group photo of participants from meeting in Colombia

17 August 2022

On 12 July 2022, national human rights institutions and OECD national contact points from across Latin America met to exchange good practice and coordinate initiatives to promote respect for human rights in the context of business activities and responsible business conduct (RBC) standards

Based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), participants from National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and National Contact Points for responsible business conduct (NCPs) of Latin America attended the first face-to-face regional meeting between the institutions on 12 July 2022 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

The meeting explored the different mandates and practices of institutions present in relation to the promotion of RBC standards and handling of cases/complaints, as well as how the institutions engage with RBC monitoring, analysis & policy making.

The participants concluded the event with an agreement on joint efforts to:

Exchange experiences and technical knowledge on business and human rights, RBC standards and due diligence;
Advance the development of awareness, promotion and training activities for stakeholders, including companies, state institutions, civil society, unions and community organisations in order to promote respect for human rights in the context of business activities and RBC standards;
Consider collaboration between the NCP and the NHRI (or vice versa) as appropriate, in the handling of cases related to business and human rights and RBC;
Coordinate and articulate initiatives and actions to contribute to the formulation and implementation of public policies related to RBC and human rights in the framework of business activities.
Whenever possible and in relation to points 1 to 4 above, seek to formalise collaboration between the respective NCP and NHRI at the national level through memorandums of understanding, establishment and participation in advisory bodies and public policies, as well as National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights, among others.

Participants included the NHRIs and NCPs of Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Peru, as well as the NCP of Brazil, the NHRIs of Uruguay and Ecuador and the National Human Rights Council of Brazil. The NCP of Spain also participated as an observer. The meeting was organised by the OECD and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR).