Beyond Human Rights Compliance

📣 Beyond’s Debrief is back! After a short summer break, Beyond’s bi-weekly Debrief returns to keep you updated on key regulatory developments in the BHR space across the globe. This week’s edition unpacks: 🇪🇺 Movement on the Omnibus Package: The EU Council has now adopted a position proposing major changes to due diligence obligations. At the same time, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur is pushing for deeper deregulation of the CSDDD, setting the stage for high-stakes internal negotiations. 🌱 Mounting Political Opposition to the EU’s Deforestation Regulation: Last week, MEPs opposed the Commission’s proposed anti-deforestation blacklist, as part of what critics warn is a broader strategy to delay and dilute enforcement of the law. Meanwhile, Indonesia claims the law remains unworkable, especially for the country’s smallholdings. Find all this, and key updates on forced labour, landmark human rights rulings and new GRC reports below ➡️ 🗞 Subscribe here for more insights, as we continue tracking the evolving EU regulatory landscape: https://lnkd.in/e_SCHvzb

‼️📢 Job Alert ‼️📢 Beyond Human Rights Compliance is looking for a Bangladesh Country Lead & Senior Legal Advisor to lead impactful work in Bangladesh on human and labour rights across all business areas!   If you have the required experience and background, don’t miss this opportunity:   🔹 Job Title: Bangladesh Country Lead & Senior Legal Advisor (This role is contingent upon the confirmation of funding). 📍 Duty Station: Remote   Please read the full job description through the following link: https://cutt.ly/trUkg7Ey  

🌍 Last week, BHRC was in Armenia to participate in an event hosted by the Council of Europe, Grant Thornton Armenia and the IRMA Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance where experts gathered to discuss how to align mining practices with sustainability and human rights standards. Anaïs Tobalagba, PhD, BHRC's Natural Resources Lead, shared insights into: 1️⃣ Risks and challenges in the area of human rights in mining operations – she addressed the growing complexity of diversifying mineral supply chains amid the surge in demand for transition minerals, as well as the urgent need for robust and context-sensitive heightened human rights due diligence in context of geopolitical instability, where mining operations are increasingly expanding into conflict-affected and high-risk areas. 2️⃣ Common impacts of mining on local communities – she emphasised the importance of recognising both environmental and labour-related risks. Mining companies must uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and ensure that workers earn a living wage. These are not optional – they are fundamental human and environmental rights that must be integrated into responsible business conduct. Grateful to the organisers for this timely and important dialogue, and to all the participants for the inspiring exchanges. Gurgen Hakobyan Pierre Petit-De Pasquale Natalia Kobylarz Anaïs Tobalagba, PhD Stéphane Brabant Anna Saghabalyan Marie-Camille Pitton Elise Groulx Diggs Liparit Drmeyan Daniel Pap Tigran Karapetyan Biljana Nikolic Artem Hakobyan LL.M. Arevik Anapiosyan Elena Yurkina

A big thanks to the Council of Europe for inviting us to Armenia this week to contribute to the conversation on Human Rights and Environment Protection in Foreign Investment. Anaïs Tobalagba, PhD, Natural Resources Lead at Beyond, spoke on a panel about best practices and challenges in the development and implementation of National Action Plans on BHR, emphasising the need for ongoing and meaningful stakeholder engagement. On a later panel, she discussed some of the key challenges or concerns States have faced in trying to balance the imperative to attract foreign investment with the need to uphold and protect human rights. #BHR #CoE

What drives change when the rules begin to loosen? 🧭 At the Better Cotton Conference 2025, we’ll explore this question in the session: Between Ethics and Obligations: The Real Incentives of Due Diligence Amidst Deregulations. ⚖️ As due diligence requirements and reporting standards have risen, businesses have adapted, investing in new systems, partnerships, and sustainability initiatives. But now, with emerging deregulatory trends, many are wondering: what’s the incentive to keep going when mandates fall away? 📝 Moderated by Hélène Bohyn, our very own Policy & Advocacy Manager, the session will feature Pallavi Sharma from Beyond Human Rights Compliance, vicente mario sando from FONPA, farmer Harun Sapli and Abhishek Bansal from Arvind Limited. We will critically examine how brands, suppliers, and sustainability actors can navigate this shifting landscape, balancing ethical commitments with evolving regulatory realities. 🧠 Is it enough to comply? Or is now the time to double down on integrity, transparency, and long-term value? 🔎 Join us in Izmir or online, 18–19 June, for this timely and thought-provoking session. 📍 📌 Register now: https://lnkd.in/eAaNdb4b #BetterCotton #BetterCottonConference2025 #SupplyChainTransparency #CorporateResponsibility #ItStartsWithFarmers #Türkiye #CottonIndustry #PolicyAndPractice 

Recently, Beyond Human Rights Compliance’s Natural Resources Lead, Anaïs Tobalagba, PhD was invited to teach a module at the HeForShe Academy The project is implemented in 2025 in partnership with the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment to support young people between the ages of 20 and 30 seeking stronger involvement in the promotion of human rights. Anaïs shared her knowledge on the role of businesses in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals #SDG and provided practical insights on corporate social responsibility, human rights and environmental due diligence, and on how businesses can collaborate with other public and private stakeholders to ensure they contribute to better respect for human rights and the environment. This was a fantastic opportunity to exchange with smart and very engaged students!

Job Alert! We are seeking a Garment, Textile & Apparel Sector Lead & Senior Legal Adviser to join our international team at Beyond Human Rights Compliance! If you have the required experience and background in business and human rights, particularly in the garment and apparel sector, don’t miss this opportunity: Job Title: Garment, Textile & Apparel Sector Lead & Senior Legal Adviser 📍 Duty Station: Remote (Preference for Lisbon / London / Amsterdam) 📆 Application Deadline: 8 June 2025 Please read the full job description and apply here: https://lnkd.in/de7jVt5F

Yesterday, Beyond Human Rights Compliance was contributing to the workshop for policymakers on Transposing the hashtag #CSDDD, “Navigating Legal Uncertainties amidst the Omnibus proposal and Implementation Challenges”, organised by the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment, BIICL (British Institute of International and Comparative Law) and KU Leuven. Before 20 policymakers from 9 countries and over 30 experts from 15 countries across 5 continents, our Natural Resources Lead, Anaïs Tobalagba, PhD, shared her insights on civil liability provisions in the French Duty of Vigilance Law; and on the necessity to consider meaningful stakeholder engagement and gender-responsive due diligence in law- and policy-making processes. Many thanks to the organisation committee Claire Bright, Jasmine Elliott, Dr Sofía González De Aguinaga, PhD, Huib Huyse, Axel Marx, Kari Otteburn, and Dr Irene Pietropaoli.

This week, Beyond Human Rights Compliance participated in the 1st ESG Congress organised by Paulo Câmara, Ana Filipa Morais Antunes and Ana Perestrelo de Oliveira from The Governance Lab and Grupo Almedina. Our Natural Resources Lead, Anaïs Tobalagba, PhD, discussed stakeholder involvement in ESG reporting. She shared practical strategies to identify and engage meaningfully with affected stakeholders and users of sustainability statements in line with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive #CSRD and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards #ESRS, and stressed the essential role of both external and internal stakeholders in shaping double materiality assessments, human rights and environmental due diligence, and sustainability reporting. Her key message was clear: stakeholder engagement is not merely about regulatory compliance or information dissemination; it is a dynamic, collaborative process that enhances sustainability governance and promotes respect for human rights and the environment across business activities.

In this edition of the Debrief, Beyond Human Rights Compliance's legal and policy newsletter, we break down: 🚨 Key omnibus developments from across the EU Council and Parliament 📣 Growing opposition to the Omnibus' deregulatory approach from the corporate and financial sectors. 🌴 Updates on the long-awaited EUDR risk benchmarking system Catch up on all this and more below ➡️ To stay in the know, subscribe to the Debrief here: https://lnkd.in/e_SCHvzb