Deep Dive
Left Behind: Why Resilience in Business and Human Rights Must Start with Those Most Harmed
ORGANIZED BY
Asia Dalit Rights Forum, Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent
15-Sep
11:15-12:00
Meeting Room H
Resilience means nothing if it excludes those most harmed. This session centres on communities discriminated on work and descent – Dalits, Roma, Haratin, Quilombola – specially women from these communities to examine how community-led strategies are reshaping business and human rights accountability from the ground up – and what the BHR agenda can learn from them.
Topic in Focus
What does it actually take to move accountability systems in business and human rights beyond consultation, so that communities facing descent- and work based discrimination can shape, monitor, and enforce the remedies meant to protect them?
Overview
In a context of growing global crises, resilience in the Business and Human Rights agenda means doubling down on its principles of protection, respect and remedy for those furthest behind. Communities facing discrimination rooted in hereditary labour, descent, and inherited social hierarchies are among the most exposed to business-related harm and the least able to access remedy. Closing this gap requires disaggregated data, community-led due diligence, and direct accountability agreements between communities, business and States — such as the Dindigul Agreement. But accountability systems only become credible when affected communities can shape, monitor, and enforce them, through genuine co-design, recognised community evidence, and independent channels to report violations without fear of retaliation. This session examines the roles of research institutions, business, states, and communities in making that accountability real.
Why it matters
As global crises mount and pressure grows to scale back human rights commitments, this gap risks widening inequality. Ensuring resilience in the Business and Human Rights agenda means confronting this imbalance directly, so protection, respect, and remedy reach those who need them most, not only those best positioned to claim them.
Who should attend?
Member States, Business, Research organisations, academics interested in business and human rights agenda, Other marginalised groups including indigenous communities
What participants will gain
Practical tools for inclusion: How disaggregated data and community-led due diligence can make invisible communities visible in risk identification and corporate accountability processes.
Models for direct accountability: Insight into agreements like the Dindigul Agreement, showing how communities, business, and States can co-design binding, enforceable commitments.
A framework for credible grievance mechanisms: What it takes to move beyond consultation toward genuine co-design of HRDD processes and complaint systems that affected communities trust and can use.