CONCEPT NOTE

Regional Context and Rationale

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The Asia-Pacific region is central to global production, trade, and investment, encompassing a wide range of economies with distinct but interconnected development pathways. The region’s growth trajectories reflect both dynamic industrial expansion and diverse economic structures, each contributing in different ways to the global economy and to advancing sustainable development. Over the past decade, this diversity has been accompanied by significant progress in institutionalizing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), with growing engagement from governments, businesses, and stakeholders across the region. Governments are advancing new regulations and National Action Plans (NAPs) on business and human rights, while businesses are increasingly adopting human rights due diligence (HRDD) as a core component of risk management and long-term value creation. This reflects a growing recognition that responsible business conduct that respects human rights is integral to resilient, competitive, and future-ready economies.

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However, this progress is unfolding within a rapidly evolving global landscape. Geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, rapid digital transformation including the sweeping adoption and deployment of digital tools and platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), and the reconfiguration of supply chains are reshaping human rights risks across sectors and markets. At the same time, compounding pressures such as climate change and environmental degradation are disproportionately affecting the most marginalized. In many parts of the region, these dynamics are further intensified by shrinking civic space, limiting the participation of workers, human rights defenders, and communities. Persistent governance challenges, including uneven regulatory enforcement and fragmented accountability systems across state-based (judicial and non-judicial) and company-level mechanisms continue to constrain effective protection of rights, including for workers and those in the informal economy. Broadly, participation, inclusion, and access to effective remedies remain uneven across the region, particularly for rights holders from historically marginalized and disproportionately affected groups, including women, children and youth, persons with disabilities, migrant workers, and Indigenous Peoples. 

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Addressing these challenges requires a multi-stakeholder approach that strengthens governance, accountability, and the protection of human rights, while supporting businesses in meeting their responsibility to respect human rights in ways that foster operational resilience, innovation and sustainable development. In this context, the UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum aims to strengthen regional policy coherence, accelerate the realization of the “smart mix of measures”, foster dialogue among stakeholders, and enable practical exchange and peer learning on HRDD and accountability across markets and supply chains - supporting more resilient systems that advance responsible, rights-respecting development in the region.

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Over the years, the Forum has played a critical role in:

• Translating global frameworks into regional and country-level practice 

• Supporting policy coherence and peer learning among governments 

• Engaging businesses and industry actors on practical implementation challenges and case studies of successful implementation and learning

• Strengthening the participation of civil society, workers, and affected stakeholders 

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The UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum

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Now in its eighth year, the UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum, Asia-Pacific (UNRBHR) has become the region’s leading multi-stakeholder platform on business and human rights (BHR) and an integral part of the region’s institutional architecture for dialogue, learning, exchange, and action.

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Convened annually, the Forum brings together governments, businesses, investors, civil society, human rights defenders and persons with lived experiences (Indigenous Peoples, workers’ representatives and trade unions, development partners, international organizations, academia and youth) to exchange insights, build trust and advance implementation of the UNGPs.  

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Co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWG), the 2026 Forum will also engage key international frameworks – including the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct and the ILO Tripartite Declaration on Multinational Enterprises – and emerging regional policy developments and commitments, including within ASEAN. 

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About the 2026 Theme: Building Resilience, Advancing Rights

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The 2026 Forum is anchored in the recognition that the current operating environment is placing increasing pressure on systems that manage risks and safeguard people, communities, and the environment. As expectations on governments and businesses continue to evolve, driven by expanding HRDD frameworks, implementation of NAPs, and shifting market and regulatory demands – the ability to respond effectively to complex and interconnected risks has become critical.

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In this context, resilience has proven central to the BHR agenda but requires clear grounding in how it strengthens rights protection to deliver tangible benefits for people, communities, and the natural environment. The theme “Building Resilience, Advancing Rights” reflects the need to rethink and reinforce existing systems to respond effectively to a more volatile and interconnected landscape. It recognizes that beyond business continuity and risk management, resilience is about addressing the underlying conditions that enable adverse human rights impacts across operations and supply chains and about ensuring that States and businesses uphold their human rights obligations and responsibilities. Given the breadth and evolving nature of resilience, the Forum recognizes that there is no single definition or approach. The Forum will also provide a space to explore how resilience is understood across stakeholders, build a shared understanding of priorities, and strengthen alignment on approaches that can be applied across policy, markets, and supply chains.

 

Broadly, for the Forum, resilience is understood as :

• The ability to protect human rights – including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment – while maintaining business operations, particularly in times of crisis.

• The capacity to continually prevent and address actual and potential adverse impacts to people and the environment across business activities and supply chains.

• The strengthening of accountability, remedy, and stakeholder engagement as core elements of effective risk management 

 

This framing reflects consultation feedback that resilience must go beyond institutions, markets, and supply chains, and include the perspectives of affected people and communities. For the Forum, resilience is understood as not normalizing harm or shifting risks onto workers, communities, and human rights defenders. Instead, it focuses on strengthening prevention, accountability, remedy, and meaningful participation, so that those most affected by business activity are central to how risks are identified, managed, and addressed.

 

This framing also recognizes the central role of States in shaping resilient systems. In times of crisis and disruption, there is a risk that human rights standards may be deprioritized or diluted. Resilience therefore also requires that States continue to uphold their duty to protect, ensuring that regulatory frameworks, enforcement, and access to remedy remain effective under pressure.

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At the same time, the theme recognizes that for businesses, resilience is not only about operational continuity, but also encompasses sustainable business performance, supply chain stability, and long-term competitiveness. Protecting and promoting human rights contributes to stronger risk management, more stable operations, and improved business outcomes. The Forum therefore positions HRDD as an essential tool for managing risk and strengthening resilience – bridging policy expectations with operational realities – while also emphasizing the importance of credible accountability, inclusive participation and effective governance systems in shaping outcomes in practice. 

 

Guided by this framing, the 2026 Forum will place emphasis on implementation, practical exchange, and collaborative problem solving, ensuring that discussions translate into more consistent and credible practice across the region.​

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Thematic Tracks

 

To operationalize the theme and respond to consultation priorities, the Forum will be structured around four interlinked thematic tracks:

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Strengthening Governance and Regulatory Coherence

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This track focuses on how governance systems can better support the implementation of BHR commitments. It will focus on:

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• Assessing the effectiveness and strengthening the development and implementation of NAPs and HRDD frameworks and regulations 

• Using data-informed approaches and technology to advance the BHR agenda

• Navigating regulatory complexity and strengthening enforcement by aligning trade, investment and economic policies with human rights obligations, responsibilities and standards

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Resilient Markets and Supply Chains 

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This track focuses on strengthening resilience across market systems and supply chains. It will examine:

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• Extending HRDD in complex, deep-tier supply chains 

• Reaching (M)SMEs, informal actors, and high-risk segments 

• Addressing critical risks such as forced labor and unethical recruitment 

• Addressing human rights risks arising from products, services, marketing and purchasing practices, including food and beverage, digital, financial services.

• Leveraging markets, buyers, and investors, and ESG frameworks to drive responsible business conduct 

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Remedy, Accountability and Trust

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This track focuses on strengthening accountability and governance systems to prevent human rights and environmental harms and ensure access to effective remedies. It will explore:

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• Strengthening accountability and governance across policy, regulatory and corporate systems

• Improving access to justice and to remedy, including through judicial and non-judicial mechanisms such as the National Contact Points under the OECD, accountability mechanisms of international financial institutions, and operational-level grievance mechanisms.  

• Promoting trust through credible, transparent and outcome-oriented accountability approaches

 

Inclusion, Participation and Protection

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This track recognizes that resilience depends on inclusive participation and protection of affected stakeholders. It will focus on:

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• Strengthening the voice and participation of workers, communities, human rights defenders, and disproportionately affected groups, including migrant and informal workers, women, children and youth, people with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples

• Addressing barriers to participation and shrinking civic space 

• Promoting inclusive and meaningful stakeholder engagement and collective action

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Insights from Stakeholder Consultations

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To ensure the theme is grounded in regional realities and reflects diverse perspectives, a series of stakeholder consultations were conducted to co-design the Forum’s priorities and thematic focus. These consultations provide the basis for identifying key areas of convergence, emerging priorities, and practical entry points for advancing implementation - informing both the structure and substance of the 2026 Forum. The consultations were conducted from 6–10 April 2026 and were conducted with representatives from three stakeholder groups – businesses, civil society, and consultancies. 

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A summary from the consultations can be seen on the Forum website; however, key messages included: 

• Implementation is now the defining challenge. While policy frameworks, due diligence approaches, and NAPs are expanding, their translation into consistent, credible practice remains uneven, particularly in complex supply chains. 

• Resilience has emerged as a central but contested concept. Stakeholders emphasized that it must go beyond business continuity to address structural risks, accountability, and power imbalances, ensuring risks are not shifted onto workers and communities. 

• Progress is visible across multiple areas. This includes expansion of due diligence frameworks, increased attention to forced labor and ethical recruitment, and growing awareness among workers and rights holders. However, the tangible impacts on communities and workers are yet to be fully seen.

• Persistent system gaps remain. Key challenges include blind spots in deep-tier supply chains, access to effective remedies, meaningful stakeholder engagement, and regulatory clarity and enforcement. 

• Business participants highlighted growing operational pressures. Maintaining human rights commitments amid geopolitical disruption, regulatory complexity, and economic constraints remains a key challenge, alongside the need to translate broad commitments into measurable outcomes. 

• The Forum must evolve to remain relevant. Stakeholders called for a stronger focus on practical, case-based learning, collaborative problem solving, and more balanced participation, particularly increased engagement from businesses and underrepresented groups.

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Forum Objectives

 

The 2026 Forum comes at a critical moment for BHR in Asia-Pacific. As governments and businesses navigate increasing complexity and uncertainty, the need to move from commitment to implementation has become more urgent. The Forum is therefore designed as a platform for working through practical challenges, strengthening systems, and advancing collective solutions.

 

By grounding resilience in human rights, the Forum aims to support a pathway where economic resilience and rights protection are mutually reinforcing, and where stakeholders are better equipped to respond to the challenges ahead.

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The Forum aims to contribute to:

• Stronger implementation of BHR frameworks, through practical exchange, peer learning, and alignment between policy, markets, and practice 

• More effective and accountable risk management across supply chains, including clearer operationalization of HRDD approaches to increase resilience 

• Enhanced collaboration, trust, and inclusive participation across stakeholders, with increased engagement of businesses and underrepresented groups ​​

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Forum Design and Format

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This year, the Forum will take place over three days at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok and will be delivered in a hybrid format to maximize participation across borders and communities. While virtual access will be available, not all sessions will be livestreamed, and the format and level of online interactivity will vary depending on the session organizers. The Forum is designed to be inclusive, interactive, solution-oriented and grounded in regional and local realities, providing space for dialogue, rights holder leadership, and practical collaboration. 

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For governments and regulators, it supports peer learning, implementation planning, and exchange on policy coherence. It also offers businesses and investors a space to engage in open dialogue, learn from regional positive practices, understand and respond to regulatory developments, and collaborate with partners across the BHR ecosystem. For rights holders, the Forum provides opportunities to shape policy priorities, share lived experiences and strengthen networks that can support ongoing efforts to hold States and businesses accountable. 

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The programme will include:

• Strategic dialogues and plenaries on leadership, implementation challenges, and emerging risks 

• Interactive and short-format sessions (workshops, roundtables, solution labs, clinics, spotlight and fireside dialogues) 

• Stakeholder-led and co-designed sessions, including community, worker, and SME dialogues 

• Flexible participation formats, including closed-door and hybrid engagement options 

 

Sessions will be co-developed with a range of partners to ensure relevance, diversity, and resonance with lived experiences. The Forum will prioritize local knowledge, applied learning, and co-creation, moving beyond awareness-raising toward shared action. 

 

Venue and Dates

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The Forum will be held in person at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, and will be have a hybrid component for virtual participation.

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The Forum will be held on 15-19 September 2025.  

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Organize a Session

 

Those interested in organizing a session should complete the submission form by 16 May 2026.  

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The 2026 Forum will take place over three days, a change from the four-day format of previous editions, which will limit the total number of sessions compared to prior years. The balance of session formats will also shape what is possible: a programme weighted toward longer 60- and 90-minute sessions accommodates fewer slots overall than one with more 30- and 45-minute sessions. 

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The Secretariat may reach out to propose collaboration between stakeholders submitting proposals on similar or overlapping themes to maximize inclusion and diversity of session topics, formats, and stakeholder perspectives.

 

The Forum co-organizers will provide session organizers with facilities (including presentation space and IT support) and guide them on how to successfully prepare. Session organizers will be responsible for all logistics pertaining to their session, including concept note development, session delivery, coordination with speakers and managing their sessions on Zoom.

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For more information, visit the Call for Proposals page.  

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Queries

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For general queries, please reach out to the Forum Secretariat at unrbhrforum@undp.org.

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For queries related to sessions and speakers, please contact the Forum Secretariat (unrbhrforum@undp.org), with copy to Harpreet Kaur, Business and Human Rights Specialist, UNDP (harpreet.kaur@undp.org), and Amy Sellmyer, Communications Specialist, UNDP (amy.sellmyer@undp.org).​