National human rights institutions and access to remedy in business and human rights

The primary objective of the report is to identify trends and patterns in how NHRIs apply their Paris Principles mandate to access to remedy.

This includes identifying common challenges faced by NHRIs and how these might be addressed to strengthen NHRI capacity, action and collaboration to enhance access to remedy for victims of business-related human rights abuses.

In doing so, the report seeks to serve as a resource for NHRIs to strengthen their role and to inform current international and national processes that address the role of NHRIs in access to remedy in BHR.

The executive summary and recommendations

The document provides an overview of the report and outlines 10 topic areas with concrete policy recommendations that can be implemented by states, NHRIs and other actors to strengthen the ability of NHRIs to contribute to access to effective remedy for business-related human rights abuses.

The executive summary and recommendations are available in both English, French and Spanish - please see below.

Part 1

The report presents an analysis of the role and practice of NHRIs regarding access to remedy in business and human rights, based on analysis of 2019 survey data gathered by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, as well as a review of the academic and grey literature relevant to the topic.

Part 2

The report presents four NHRI case studies from the African region (Kenya, Niger, Nigeria and Uganda) and a comparative analysis examining key practice challenges and recommendations, as well as corresponding opportunities for further research. The four case studies were written in collaboration between the respective NHRIs and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.