Background

​​​

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), endorsed unanimously by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, remain the authoritative global framework for States and businesses to prevent and address adverse human rights impacts in the context of business activities. To operationalize the UNGPs at the national level, many countries are adopting or developing National Action Plans on business and human rights (BHR) - voluntary, State-led policy strategies that outline policy commitments, priority actions, coordination mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement to promote responsible business conduct locally. Across Asia, governments have increasingly acknowledged the need for national strategies to guide BHR efforts. The region presents a diverse landscape with countries at very different stages of NAP development or implementation:

​

• Thailand was the first country in Asia to adopt a NAP in 2019 and, on 8 September 2023, following stakeholder consultations, its second edition was adopted.

• Japan adopted its first NAP in October 2020 and released an updated version in 2024, focusing on supply chains and due diligence.

• Pakistan adopted its first NAP (2021-2026) in September 2021, focusing on state duty, access to remedy, and gender responsiveness.

• China has not developed a standalone NAP but has incorporated BHR principles into the National Human Rights Action Plan (2021-2025), published in September 2021.

• South Korea adopted a Human Rights National Action Plan containing a short chapter on business and human rights in August 2018, which ran until 2022. In February 2023, Guidelines on Business and Human Rights were officially published.

• In June 2023, Mongolia adopted its first NAP, titled ‘Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights in Business Activities, Prevention of Human Rights Violations, and Restoration of Violated Rights (2023-2027)’.

• Viet Nam published its NAP, titled ‘National Action Plan for Law and Policy Improvement to Promote Responsible Business Practices in Viet Nam’ in July 2023.

• In September 2023, Indonesia released its National Strategy on Business and Human Rights (2023-2026), captured in a presidential regulation and serving as the government’s primary legal reference for developing a national regulatory framework.

• Nepal has launched its NAP in December 2023, developed in response to the national human rights action plan introduced in 2020. The process included a National Baseline Assessment to inform the plan's development. The 5-year plan will conclude in 2028.

• Malaysia has launched its National Action Plan on BHR in August 2025, following stakeholder engagement sessions and a National Baseline Assessment. The plan will conclude in 2030.

• In Lao PDR, a Preliminary Assessment of the Regulatory Framework and Policy Coherence on Responsible Business Practice informed a multi-stakeholder workshop, held in 2024, which committed its government to a structured consultation process toward the development of a NAP.

• In the Philippines, the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat of the Office of the President is reportedly leading the development of a NAP on BHR.

• A zero draft NAP was prepared in 2019 in India, but progress toward its adoption has been slow.

• Cambodia has no indication of action on a NAP, despite efforts in hosting roundtables on responsible business conduct. Efforts to strengthen its legal and regulatory frameworks are on-going.

​

Despite this progress, NAPs in Asia often face structural and political challenges. Common concerns and complaints raised by stakeholders include:

• Limited and uneven stakeholder participation, especially from rights-holders such as children, Indigenous Peoples, migrant workers, and informal workers. In several countries, no national platforms for stakeholder engagement were established, even in contexts where NAPs were adopted.

• A lack of comprehensive baseline assessments to inform the content of NAPs that put into question the credibility of NAPs.

• Weak institutional ownership and inter-ministerial coordination of NAPs, often leading to fragmented implementation at national and sub-national levels.

• Inadequate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, with few (human rights) indicators or accountability tools.

• Lack of resourcing, hampering the sustained implementation and the needed capacity building to turn the policy into concrete interventions on the ground.. 

​

Key Objectives

​​​​

The hybrid session will be led by the UNWG on BHR. It will aim at:

• Reflecting on the alignment of NAPs with the UNGPs framework and their effectiveness in promoting human rights due diligence and access to remedy.

• Creating safe and dynamic spaces to gather feedback from civil society, youths and other rights holders to inform the final regional research and policy recommendations.

• Informing a regional research paper on NAPs developed by UNWG-BHR, with recommendations for governments developing and adopting NAPs and broader recommendations for BHR policy efforts in the Asia-Pacific. Key elements of NAPs to be analyzed

• Alignment with the UNGPs: e.g., explicit referencing, structure, and coherence.

• Process quality: e.g., whether the NAP is informed by evidence, inclusive, transparent, promoting meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including children and other marginalized groups.

• Institutional arrangements: e.g., who are the lead agency and other key stakeholders, nature of inter-agency coordination, policy coherence with existing BHR or ESG standards and mechanisms.

• Monitoring and evaluation: e.g., supported by national baseline assessments, clear human rights indicators, independent review, feedback loops.

• Business and sectoral engagement: e.g., responsiveness to actual and potential adverse human rights impacts posed by businesses in various sectors, especially those regarded as ‘high risk’ such as agriculture, manufacturing, and digital economy.

• Access to effective remedies: e.g., judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, operational-level grievance mechanisms.

• Budget and implementation tools: e.g., resource allocation and capacity-building strategies.

​​

Session Partner