Centre for Business and Human Rights

CENTER FOR BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

ABOUT THE CENTER

The centre was established in the year 2022 with the establishment fund by the State Government of Tamil Nadu. In today’s era, Businesses reach every corner of the world impacting communities worldwide. When that is the case, it becomes important to explore the relationship between business and human rights. This is because such businesses encompass the scope to be beneficial in terms of development as well as cause harm to the individual and community as a whole. The (CBHR) centre for business and human rights will focus on the nexus between business agenda and protection of human rights. The centre will take up the most contemporary pressing issues on the intersection of business and human rights for instance like the core business practices that affects workers/gender/consumers/environment etc. The initial progress will be identifying the root causes for the never-ending human rights challenges and how the business practices can either be a threat to or promote human rights. Further the centre will focus on more suggestive reforms ensuring that human rights are paramount in this country.

OBJECTIVES

1. To Promote Human Rights:

• Examine the infringement of businesses on the rights of workers, consumers, and local communities.
• Advocating for the elimination of exploitative practices such as forced labor, child labor, discrimination, and workplace harassment.

2. To Promote Corporate Accountability:

• Evaluating companies' accountability for their actions and impacts caused.
• Encouraging transparency through reporting and due diligence processes.

3. To study the impact of implementing Global Standards:

• Advancing adherence to international frameworks, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which outline the responsibilities of states and businesses in protecting and respecting human rights.

4.  To Create Ethical Work Environments:

• Promoting fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to organize and participate in collective bargaining.
• Ensuring inclusivity and non-discrimination in hiring and workplace practices.

5.  To Evaluate Access to Remedies:

• Ensuring affected individuals and communities have access to effective grievance mechanisms and remedies for human rights violations caused by business activities.

6.  To Foster Business Sustainability:

• Aligning business practices with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote social justice, equality, and environmental sustainability.

ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE CENTRE

• National Webinar, December 2022.

The centre since its inception organised its first National webinar in commemoration of Human Rights Day on the topic “Novartis - Its significance today”. The webinar was conducted on 10^th December,2022. The resource person for the event was Mr. Anand Grover, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India. The resource person shared his expertise from the several landmark cases he has appeared for, in the field of public interest and human rights law. For the webinar, in specific, he shared his domain expertise in successfully arguing the first constitutional challenge to Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, 1970 on behalf of the Cancer Patient Aid Association in the case of Novartis v Union of India. The webinar was a success with 82 participants gracing the event from various institutions across the country. Through the discussion, the participants were enlightened about the realisation of the right to health from the perspective of access to medicines and in the context of Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act dealing with patent evergreening. The lecture was followed by student interaction wherein the role of intellectual property rights and the importance of safeguarding larger public interest was deliberated which enlightened the students to use the law for social transformation.

• National Two-Day Symposium, March 2023

The centre conducted a Two-Day Symposium on Port Privatization Law, Policy and Practice in India: A Business and Human Rights Perspective in collaboration with Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute on March 10-11,2023. The Two-Day Virtual symposium was on the topic ‘Port Privatisation Law, Policy and Practise in India: A Business and Human Rights Perspective’. Ports are the backbone of international trade comprising infrastructure that is critical to the economic development of any country. This symposium aimed to visit the plausible consequences of this port-led development and the susceptive human rights violations. In this regard, the symposium provided a platform for eminent scholars and academic discussions to analyze the law, policy, and practice of port privatization in India. The symposium was conducted for 2 days with 4 technical sessions. This symposium witnessed participation from more than 250 pan India participants spread across 20 institutions. The symposium also witnessed participation from practicing advocates, academicians, and maritime law enthusiasts. Over the course of 2 days, the participants deliberated on the intricacies of the theme and the 8 resource persons shared their expertise and experiences on the theme.

• Workshop , Feb - 2025

Safeguarding Human Rights in the Healthcare Business Sector: Addressing Violations and Promoting Ethical Medical Practices. The main objective of the workshop, that the healthcare sector plays a critical role in ensuring the well-being of individuals, yet its business-oriented approach often raises ethical challenges, including human rights violations. Issues such as workplace violence, discrimination, and exploitation of healthcare workers, as well as patient rights violations, highlight the need for a balanced approach that integrates ethical practices into healthcare business models. This workshop aims to address these challenges by exploring strategies to safeguard human rights within the healthcare business sector.

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CENTRE COORDINATOR:                        

                                                                                TNNLU - CBHR  TEAM   

                                           Ms. Shanthi Samandha K                                                                                       Ms. Neena Shankari S