Home » Beyond Compliance: 5 Core Lessons for Companies from the 2025 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

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Beyond Compliance: 5 Core Lessons for Companies from the 2025 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

This blog was originally posted on 28th November, 2025. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

AUTHORED BY JOANNE O’DONNELL, HEAD OF THE GLOBAL REGULATORY COMPLIANCE TEAM, COMPLIANCE & RISKS

The 14th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, which took place from 24 to 26 November at the Palais des Nations in Geneva under the theme of ‘accelerating action amidst crises and transformations,’ was a powerful reminder that corporate accountability for human rights is not a side project but a necessary catalyst for long-term success. With so many themes emerging across the three days, it is impossible to capture them all. However, to bridge the gap between dialogue and implementation and ensure that these critical discussions translate into real world corporate actions, here are 5 takeaways based on the sessions that I attend that I think every company should consider:

Lesson 1: UNGPs are Foundational

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) were consistently reaffirmed as a non-negotiable “guiding compass” for business activity. As the ‘Omnishambles’ ramps up in the EU and the Trump Administration continues to roll-back on a number of initiatives such as diversity, equity and inclusion, companies are reminded that the UNGPs are foundational and should be used to fill any ‘gaps’ in existing regulations.

A major challenge highlighted during the discussions was “reporting fatigue”. To avoid this, and to truly implement the spirit of the UNGPs, companies must move from simply gathering “more data” that creates a ‘data grave’ to adopting a “sharpened due diligence lens” focused on real, measurable impact and people.

Call to Action for your Company

Sharpen your HRDD focus. Instead of solely maximizing data collection for compliance reports, concentrate resources on assessing and mitigating the most severe risks to people. Ensure your due diligence process leads to real change on the ground, rather than just data storage. For direct, expert support on UNGPs implementation, utilize the newly launched OHCHR Helpdesk on Business and Human Rights which offers free and confidential guidance to companies and other stakeholders, along with streamlined access to key resources and a platform for collaboration.

Lesson 2: Human Rights is a Core Governance Issue

A significant concern raised at the Forum was the “Governance Gap,” where business and human rights issues are often not actively considered by boards and senior management despite the increase in legislation on directors duties in this area. Many CEOs and directors are ignorant of the human rights issues ongoing in their own organisations and value chains either by choice or through a lack of awareness. Several sessions highlighted that strong, accountable and transparent governance is fundamental to all progress in the field of business and human rights.

The upcoming UN Working Group thematic report on “Corporate Governance, Business and Human Rights” will focus on how to apply the UNGPs to director duties and senior executive responsibility. This is directly linked to the investor community, who are increasingly highlighting the need for rights-respecting investment in high-risk contexts and ensuring that the ‘S’ in ESG is not forgotten during the zero-carbon transition.

Another key topic of discussion centred on reframing the ‘business case’ for human rights as another lever to ensure that it is embedded more at the C-suite and senior management level. This discussion also referenced the recently published report by the UN Development Program (UNDP) entitled Human Rights vs. Competitiveness: A False Dilemma? which argues that improving corporate human rights policies, processes and practices can be a core driver of competitiveness and resilience resulting in tangible benefits including stronger supply chains, more stable partnerships, lower employee turnover, and increased consumer, investor, and employee satisfaction.

Call to Action for your Company

Elevate business and human rights to the board and senior executive level. Integrate HRDD findings and outcomes into director duties, executive compensation, and core corporate governance structures, recognizing that it is fundamental to long-term competitiveness. Stay on top of existing and emerging regulations that contain specific obligations on directors in this regard and know the potential penalties for non-compliance. Provide your feedback to the ongoing consultation on the above UNDP thematic report before the deadline for comments on 20 February 2026.

Lesson 3: HRDD has Multiple Lenses – No One Must be Left Behind

While HRDD frameworks have evolved, they must continue to expand to fully address the negative impacts on a variety of different groups. HRDD policies and processes are most effective when all voices are heard. Several sessions at the Forum highlighted the necessity of multiple, specific lenses with each group represented directly at the Forum: :

Gender: Discussions focused on addressing structural causes of gender-based violence and discrimination, calling for the implementation of intersectional HRDD.
Indigenous Peoples: Consensus centered on transitioning from exploitation to empowerment by ensuring Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in all business and policy decisions.
Migrant Workers: Migrant workers were flagged as another critical lens, requiring companies to put them at the center of their HRDD, particularly in regions like the Middle East and North Africa where migrant workers form a significant percentage of the workforce.
Children: Identifying and mitigating impacts on children, such as child labor, and ensuring their rights are protected within business operations and supply chains was also discussed at several sessions.
Human Rights Defenders: The specific risks faced by activists, journalists, and community members who speak out against business-related human rights abuses were discussed in several sessions with calls on companies to develop action plans to respect the rights of human rights defenders and avoid contributing to their mistreatment.
LGBTQ+: The specific needs and heightened risks faced by LGBTQ+ individuals were also considered as these groups may face additional barriers to participation and access to remedy.

Call to Action for your Company

Redesign your HRDD methodology to explicitly incorporate intersectional lenses in your HRDD processes. Ensure your processes are designed in consultation with, and protect the rights of, these vulnerable groups.

Lesson 4: Leverage Technology with Human Rights Guardrails

Opening the Forum on Day 1, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned that without proper checks in place, when new technologies like generative AI are introduced “human rights can be the first casualty”. He also noted that “generative AI holds tremendous promise, but its exploitation for purely political or economic benefit can manipulate, distort and distract.” In that regard, it is crucial that regulation, safeguards, and independent oversight do not lag behind the speed of innovation.

Several speakers stressed the critical need for “human in the loop” systems and for legislation and guidance to ensure human rights-respecting AI innovation. Businesses, especially those in the tech sector, must go beyond merely “respecting” human rights and must actively use technology to enable them. Technology can assist but should never replace a human-centered approach to HRDD.

Call to Action for your Company

Check out the new ‘UNGP Compass for Tech Regulation’ guidance document published by the OHCHR’s B-Tech initiative on 30 September 2025. Whilst primarily designed to provide policymakers and lawmakers with a framework on how to align regulatory initiatives and processes with human rights standards for technology companies, it does contain some useful guidance for all companies using AI to consider.

**Lesson 5: Mandatory Regulation is the New Norm – Know if, When and How You are in Scope**

There is a clear global shift from voluntary to mandatory legislation with regards to HRDD. This shift, driven by a global community that sees robust legislation as a necessary catalyst for change, means companies can no longer rely on self-regulation and voluntary measures. Discussions focused on the challenges of enforcing mandatory legislation in some regions with some panelists citing poor enforcement of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and the French Loi de Vigilance as prime examples. However, other regions, most notably Asia (specifically Thailand and South Korea) as well as South America are accelerating their mandatory obligations in this space.

Call to Action for your Company

Given the fragmented, accelerating and often conflicting global legislative landscape, it is critical for companies to establish a proactive system to track global business and human rights regulations. Even if your company does not meet initial thresholds (e.g., for CSDDD), these laws will create de facto HRDD requirements across your value chain which will have a cascading impact, making due diligence mandatory for continued business relations. It is therefore imperative that you have a regulatory tracking system that will clearly map your company’s current and future legislative exposure and that can determine if and when you are in scope (such as the tools offered by us here at Compliance and Risks). Do not wait for proposed legislation to be finalised. Your internal readiness timeline should begin now, focusing on implementing the UNGPs, which are seen as the vital foundation that complements all new laws. It is also worth checking out my recently published guide to Emerging Human Rights Due Diligence obligations which builds upon insights from our recent webinar held in October 2025.

Conclusion

As the Forum concludes and I try to make sense of all of the discussions and conversations over the past 3 days, it is hard not to feel a sense of déja-vu. The institutional struggles of the UN itself cast a sobering shadow over the Forum. The constant reference to the UN’s ‘liquidity crisis’ – evident from the decaying Palais des Nations building and the explicit requests for private donations displayed as QR codes on the walls – really highlights the fragility of the international system.

With a record 4,600 participants at the Forum this year – all united by a shared mission to drive corporate accountability – it is nonetheless obvious that the Forum does represent a dedicated global movement of businesses, advocates, academics and government representatives who are genuinely committed to business and human rights. All of the sessions consistently highlighted the importance of working together, with “collaboration” and “partnership” the most frequently repeated calls to action. Nowhere was this more evident than in the discussions taking place outside the main Assembly Hall – in the corridors, smaller meeting rooms and coffee queues away from the spotlight of the main stage – as well as the various side-events that were taking place in parallel with the main sessions at various locations throughout Geneva.

The message from the Forum is clear: the time for ‘accelerating action amidst crises and transformations’ must be now. The path forward demands decisive action from the corporate sector in moving beyond mere compliance, and in embracing an intersectional, governance-led, risk-based approach to human rights. The symbolism of the iconic Broken Chair sculpture outside the main UN building is fitting – it reminds us that despite the significant ongoing challenges that threaten progress on corporate accountability for human rights, there is a collective and unwavering determination and resilience to stand firm and move forward amidst the crises and transformation.

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