It was an incredible privilege to represent Slave-Free Alliance (SFA) at this year’s UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, an experience which has given me a sense of urgency and a sharper focus on why this work matters, and why we can’t afford to slow down in our work at SFA.
The Forum is one of the most important events on the calendar for our sector. This year, it brought together over 3,000 people from 170 countries, including civil society organisations (32%) and businesses (30%).
It’s a remarkable convergence of human rights stakeholders, and this year it felt both urgent and unmissable.
We attended a wide range of plenaries, panels, side events, and informal dialogues, contributing questions and engaging in focused discussions throughout.
The Forum provided a rare opportunity to connect with a broad cross-section of the business and human rights community, from policymakers and grassroots leaders to private sector actors and survivor leaders.
So, how did it feel to be there?
If I’m honest, I’ve been wrestling with a mix of emotions. I didn’t walk away feeling excited; instead, I felt a deeper, more pressing concern for the world. It’s left me with a serious, urgent kind of hope: hope that people, especially those in positions of power, will follow through, take action, and do the hard work of turning their words into reality. Because now, more than ever, the stakes are too high for complacency and compliance.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, opened the Forum with a sobering message: his office is “on its knees”. The UN is in a funding crisis, which is affecting its ability to support global rights protection. That stark reality set the tone not just for the Forum, but for what’s at risk if we don’t act with more urgency.
On the final day of the Forum, there was a moment during a session on the critical role of human rights defenders that really stayed with me. Carlos Choc of the Maya Q’eqchi’ people in Guatemala asked for 30 seconds of silence to remember the defenders who’ve lost their lives fighting for justice. It was the quietest moment of the Forum, but somehow the loudest. That silence cut through everything. It reminded us that this work is not theoretical. People are suffering while we’re still drafting policy documents. We need to do more, and we need to do it with greater resolve.
At the same time, there’s an increasing fixation on data, dashboards, and AI tools. But do we really need more tech to know where the risks are? That time and money could be better spent getting back to basics – embedding the UNGPs and OECD guidelines in a meaningful way, and amplifying the voices of people already working on the ground.
Still, there were many moments of connection and that matters.
What gave me strength were the side conversations: the ones that happened in the stairwell (when we were all lost trying to navigate the Palais de Nations!), in the coffee queue, or after a panel. Those spontaneous chats were where you found the passion, the honesty, the ideas. They are the beating heart of the Forum.
There’s real value in being around our entire sector. It reminded me how diverse, global, and committed this community is. Hearing directly from governments, survivor leaders, indigenous peoples, and grassroots groups was invaluable; it’s exposure we don’t get every day, and it’s something I’ll carry back into our work at SFA.
Key messages we heard:
- We’re in a Polycrisis: Global conflicts, climate breakdown, economic instability, and rapid technological advancements are converging, and human rights are on the line. Businesses must respond with urgency and sharpen, not stall, their resolve. Human rights must be embedded at the core of every response.
- UNGPs and OECD Guidelines Remain Our Compass: Despite new challenges and evolving risks, the UN Guiding Principles and OECD guidelines remain fundamentally relevant. The problem isn’t a lack of tools, but a lack of meaningful, consistent implementation. The newly launched OHCHR Helpdesk on Business and Human Rights offers practical support for businesses implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- Legislation and Enforcement Need Teeth: There’s growing momentum behind legally binding frameworks, but weak enforcement is undermining their potential. Voluntary standards alone are insufficient, particularly where rights rollbacks are accelerating.
- Get Back to Basics: More data doesn’t mean better due diligence. Complex tools aren’t a substitute for strategic clarity. Businesses should focus on decent work, responsible conduct, and honest engagement.
- Context is Everything: One-size-fits-all models don’t work. Effective due diligence requires deep local knowledge, and due diligence systems must be tailored to the specific geography and operational and supply chain risks.
- Transparency Drives Accountability: From publishing supplier lists to disclosing audit limitations and remedy practices, businesses must embrace transparency. It’s a critical ingredient in building trust and driving change.
- Rights-Responsive Approaches Are Essential: Whether on gender, migration, youth, or indigenous perspectives, we heard a consistent message: rights-holder voices must be included early, safely, and meaningfully. These are not fringe considerations; they’re central to effective HRDD and lasting impact.
- Ask the Workers: Rights-holder consultation is still lacking. The workers themselves are your clearest view into actual working conditions – how often do you ask them what it’s like? We must move beyond tick-box audits and supplier reports.
- Remedy Remains Elusive: Despite increased focus, remedy is still difficult to access and takes too long to deliver. Survivors and affected communities must be central to how remedy is designed and implemented – not an afterthought.
- AI and Emerging Tech Raise New Risks: AI was a hot topic at the Forum! Some worry that new legislation, like the CSDDD, is already outdated if it fails to address AI-related risks meaningfully. While many believe existing frameworks, like UNGPs and OECD guidelines, are fit for purpose and just need applying to AI systems.
- Investors, We Need You: Investors have both power and responsibility. They can help keep human rights high on corporate agendas, ensure functional grievance mechanisms, and push for meaningful transparency and remedy. They also have a duty to recognise and support human rights defenders as essential actors in sustainable development.
- Collaboration is Key: No single actor can tackle human rights risks alone. The most impactful strategies rely on collective action across civil society, governments, business, investors, and communities. We must work better, together.
A strong and clear call to action.
At the closing plenary, Melissa Powell, Deputy Executive Director at the UN Global Compact, gave a powerful call to action to businesses that struck a chord with me:
– Treat human rights as a strategic governance discipline, not a reporting metric.
– Communicate and collaborate with suppliers and show real progress, not promises.
– Move at the speed of risk, not perfection. (I love how she worded this!)
We’re taking this all on board at SFA. Our focus with our business partners remains on strengthening due diligence in operations and supply chains, driving action to positively impact rights-holders and preparing for legislation.
We will also be looking to see how we can support our business partners to better embed rights-responsive approaches.
More than anything, this Forum reminded me that while change can feel slow, we’re not alone. When this community comes together, we are a force. We just need to hold each other and ourselves accountable for doing the work and sharing the results.
