Workshop
Sustaining MHREDD Momentum in Asia: Sharing Regional Strategies for Resilient Campaigns and Lessons from the EU’s CSDDD
ORGANIZED BY
Amnesty International, South Korea and Amnesty International, International Secretariat, in partnership with Amnesty International, Thailand
Civil society organizations and human rights defenders will exchange practical strategies for sustaining momentum for mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence in Asia. The workshop will identify common obstacles, adaptable campaign approaches, and opportunities for stronger regional collaboration.
What practical challenge will the workshop tackle
How can civil society strengthen and sustain political and public support for MHREDD legislation across Asia through adaptable strategies and regional collaboration?
Who should attend
This workshop is aimed at civil society organizations and human rights and environmental defenders working on corporate accountability, mandatory due diligence, legislative advocacy, or regional campaign strategy in Asia. The session will not be recorded and will be held behind closed doors.
Overview
Mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation is gaining momentum across Asia, creating important opportunities for civil society to shape strong, effective, and locally grounded frameworks. At the same time, experiences from campaigning on the CSDDD in the EU show the value of maintaining public and political engagement throughout the legislative and implementation process.
This participatory workshop will bring together civil society organizations and human rights and environmental defenders to exchange practical strategies for advancing resilient MHREDD campaigns across the region. Brief presentations will share lessons from campaigns in Asia and Europe, followed by facilitated small-group discussions focused on participants’ own experiences and priorities.
Participants will explore successful campaign approaches, identify strategies that can be adapted across different national contexts, and consider what tools and forms of regional cooperation could strengthen their work. The session will emphasize peer learning, practical application, and stronger connections among organizations advancing corporate accountability in Asia and Europe.
Background
Civil society campaigns have played an important role in advancing mandatory due diligence legislation and building public support for stronger corporate accountability. As MHREDD efforts develop across Asia, there is growing value in creating opportunities for regional exchange, shared learning, and coordinated action.
Activities
The workshop will begin with brief case presentations on MHREDD campaign in South Korea and on the EU's CSDDD. Participants will then join facilitated small groups to share effective advocacy approaches, identify common opportunities, and explore strategies that could be adapted across national contexts. In each group, participants will identify and cluster challenges, then vote on one priority. Using a simple strategy worksheet, designed to identify key stakeholders, adaptable lessons, practical next steps, and regional support needs, they will develop recommendations and potential areas for collaboration. A rapporteur will share the group’s recommendations and opportunities for collaboration. Suggested group topics include:
Working with Human Rights and Environmental Defenders to build strong case for MHREDD laws
Developing strong and effective counter-narratives and responding to corporate lobbying
Importance of Human Rights Education, public involvement and awareness building around MHREDD
Working in coalitions and developing effective joint activities
What participants will gain
A practical framework for strengthening and sustaining long-term MHREDD advocacy.
Adaptable campaign strategies and lessons from civil society experiences in Asia and Europe.
A clearer picture of opportunities, priorities, and support needs within participants’ national contexts.
Stronger regional connections and potential areas for collaboration on MHREDD and corporate accountability.
Nahi Hong
Campaign Director, Amnesty International South Korea
Hyunjun Yang is a Coordinator at KTNC Watch. As a full-time public interest lawyer, his work focuses on business and human rights and labour rights. He serves as the Head of the Legal Team for the Joint Action for the Right to Rest When Sick, a coalition campaigning for the institutionalisation of paid sick leave and sickness benefits in South Korea, and provides free labour law counselling to workers through Gapjil119. He has litigated cases concerning the impacts of the renewable energy transition on local farmers and the employment status of platform delivery riders. At KTNC Watch, he has monitored and addressed human rights abuses committed by Korean corporations operating overseas and by companies within their global supply chains. He is currently leading advocacy efforts for the enactment of a mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (mHREDD) law in South Korea.
Natasza Piasecka
Policy Advisor, Amnesty International Secretariat
Natasza is a Policy Advisor on Business and Human Rights at Amnesty International’s International Secretariat in London, United Kingdom. Passionate about corporate accountability, she has worked across a wide range of areas including migrants’ rights, autonomous weapons systems and the accountability gap in the defence industry, and more recently led the organization’s work on standards setting on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence efforts in the EU and beyond. Natasza holds a Master’s degree in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from Oxford University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Durham University.
Elisa C. Huh
Campaigner, Amnesty International South Korea
Elisa is a Campaigner at Amnesty International South Korea, where she works on advocacy and campaigns focused on the arms trade, corporate accountability, and business and human rights. She is committed to campaigning and public education, with a focus on developing strategies to raise awareness, build public engagement, and mobilize action. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Nahi Hong
Coordinator, KTNC Watch (Korean Transnational Corporations Watch)
Nahi Hong is the Campaign Director at Amnesty International Korea, where she leads campaigns and advocacy on a range of human rights issues. Previously, she worked at WWF-Korea, developing and managing programmes and partnerships focused on corporate sustainability and environmental issues. Her work focuses on connecting human rights and sustainability agendas and translating complex challenges into practical strategies, collaborative action, and systemic change.