PASAY CITY, 26 July 2022 – Philippine Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and Deputy Assistant Secretary Aileen S. Mendiola-Rau moderated a session on best practices and challenges in implementing human rights due diligence (HRDD) in ASEAN during the “AICHR Regional Dialogue: Sharing Good Practices on Business and Human Rights and Recovery from COVID-19 in ASEAN” on 20 July 2022 held via videoconference.
During the session, Deputy Assistant Secretary Aileen S. Mendiola-Rau echoed local and regional experiences in monitoring the implementation of UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) in the region. She also emphasized that collaboration between the State, community, and business sector should resonate to all.
“Although there is no “one-size-fits-all” in HRDD, what does fit all is the moral value of human rights. It is an overarching concept that we just have to break down to actionable levels for different sectors,” said Deputy Assistat Secretary Mendiola-Rau.
Speakers during the session, likewise, shared the importance of developing partnership with the businesses to build their commitments in ending exploitations. They gave emphasis on remedy and gender equality as well as in stressing labor issues within the supply chain as part of the region’s efforts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Mandatory Due Diligence Frameworks from other countries and regions were also cited as a way on how the business sector should view human rights.
Organized by AICHR Thailand, the Dialogue served as a platform to exchange views on how the different sectoral bodies in the region contributed to the implementation of the UNGP. The recommendations and outcomes of the Dialogue will be further discussed by AICHR during its forthcoming meeting in August 2022.
Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs