Panel

Remedying Harm to People and the Planet: What Works, What Fails, and Why

ORGANIZED BY

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, B&HR Access to Justice Lab - Macquarie University, Hasanuddin University, Bangladesh Center for Workers’ Solidarity, Community Resource Centre Foundation

15-Sep

15:45-16:45

Conference Room 2

Business-related human rights and environmental harms persist across Asia despite expanding accountability frameworks, while affected communities continue to face significant barriers to remedy. Through case studies from Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia, this session examines what works, what does not, and why, highlighting practical and community-level pathways to justice and corporate accountability.

Overview

Across Asia, communities, workers and human rights defenders continue to face business-related harms in contexts marked by shrinking civic space, weak regulatory enforcement, corporate capture, corruption, climate pressures and uneven access to justice. While there is a growing traction for human rights due diligence, grievance mechanisms and other accountability frameworks, affected communities often still struggle to secure effective and meaningful remedy in practice.

This session connects to the RBHR Forum theme by looking at resilience beyond the ability of affected communities to simply endure harm. It explores the ecosystem approach to remediation: how rightsholders and communities organize, document violations, work with allies, and pursue multiple remedy pathways in the face of structural barriers. Through case studies from Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia, the session will examine what has worked, what has not worked, and why, with a focus on the practical conditions that make access to remedy possible.

The session will also highlight the role of collaboration between affected communities, human rights defenders, civil society organizations and academic researchers in bridging power imbalances, strengthening evidence, and supporting more strategic use of litigation, non-judicial mechanisms, UN special procedures, policy advocacy, public campaigning and other pathways as part of an ecosystem approach to remedy.

Key questions

What has worked (and what did not) in efforts to seek remedy and accountability for business-related harms in Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia?
How can affected communities, workers, CSOs and academic researchers work together to bridge power imbalances and strengthen access to remedy?
How can litigation, non-judicial mechanisms, UN Special Procedures, public campaigning, policy advocacy and documentation be combined as part of an ecosystem approach to remedy?
What practical lessons can governments, businesses, NHRIs, UN mechanisms, researchers and civil society draw for strengthening access to effective remedy in Asia?

Who should attend?

Civil society organizations
Government
Trade unions
Workers / rights holders / communities
Human rights defenders
Academia and researchers
National human rights institutions
Media
General / multi-stakeholder
Other: UN mechanisms and related accountability actors

What participants will gain

Participants will leave with:

A stronger understanding of how affected communities, workers, CSOs and academic researchers can work together to pursue remedy and accountability for business-related harms in politically difficult contexts.
Practical lessons on cases from Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia on what works, what does not work, and why.
A clearer appreciation of the ecosystem approach to remedy, where multiple pathways - such as litigation, complaint to non-judicial mechanisms and UN special procedures, social media campaign and public advocacy - are used in tandem, complementing strategies towards advocacy goals.
Reflections on common barriers, enabling conditions and potential entry points for future advocacy.
Stronger cross-country learning among communities, workers, HRDs, CSOs, researchers and other stakeholders working on corporate accountability in Asia.

Additional resources

The impact of strategic human rights litigation on corporate behaviour: https://cdn.freedomfund.org/app/uploads/2024/03/litigationimpactreport-2023.pdf

Ebony Birchall

Deputy Director , Business and Human Rights Access to Justice Lab (A2J Lab)

Dr Ebony Birchall is Deputy Director of the BHR Access to Justice Lab (A2J Lab) and a Senior Lecturer at Macquarie Law School in Australia. Her work aims to bridge power imbalances between corporations and communities by conducting research, developing practical tools for human rights defenders, building the capacity of communities and advocates, and offering pro bono assistance to affected rightsholders to seek access to justice for corporate human rights abuses.

Kalpona Akter

Labor Activist & Executive Director, BCWS

Kalpona Akter is the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity (BCWS) and one of the world's leading advocates for garment workers' rights and responsible business conduct. A former child garment worker, she has dedicated more than two decades to advancing labour rights, gender equality, freedom of association, and corporate accountability in global supply chains. Under her leadership, BCWS has become a leading grassroots organization working to promote decent work, safe workplaces, living wages, social protection, climate justice, and women's leadership in Bangladesh's garment industry. Through worker education, legal support, research, policy advocacy, and multi-stakeholder engagement, BCWS empowers workers to claim their rights while promoting meaningful dialogue between workers, employers, global brands, governments, and international institutions. Kalpona has been a prominent voice in advancing the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), human rights due diligence, and responsible business conduct. She has contributed to national and international policy discussions on labour rights, occupational safety and health, gender-based violence and harassment, access to remedy, and worker participation in responsible supply chains. An internationally recognized labour rights defender, Kalpona has represented workers' voices at the United Nations, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and numerous global forums on business and human rights. She was awarded the Human Rights Watch Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism in recognition of her outstanding commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of workers. At the United Nations Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum 2026, Kalpona brings over two decades of frontline experience working with workers, trade unions, civil society organizations, governments, and global brands. She advocates for worker-centred responsible business practices that ensure respect for human rights, strengthen freedom of association, advance gender-responsive and climate-resilient supply chains, and deliver meaningful access to remedy for workers.

Laode M. Syarif

Senior Lecturer, Hasanuddin University, Law School

Dr. Laode M. Syarif is a Senior Lecturer at Hasanuddin University Law School and a former Commissioner of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of the Republic of Indonesia. His work focuses on the interaction between corruption and irresponsible exploitation of natural resources. Apart from his teaching job, he works closely with civil society groups on climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as with environmental and human rights defenders and justice reform. He also serves as a Senior Adviser for the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice 3 (AIPJ3)