Accelerating Business and Human Rights in Africa…

Moderator:

• Damilola Olawuyi, Vice Chair, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

Speakers:

• Amevi Donatien Awokou, Partnerships coordinator and security focal point, International Cocoa Initiative
• Esther Ofori Agyemang, Head of the Child Labour Unit, Labour Department of the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment in Ghana
• George Tamale, Workplace Health & Wellness Specialist, Federation of Uganda Employers
• Jacquline Wambui Wamai, Regional Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa, International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW)
• Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, Nigeria

Brief Description of the Session:

This session will consider the issues pertinent to the business and human rights agenda across Africa, in the rapidly evolving context of multiple and overlapping global transformation and crises. The African continent continues to record steady progress in raising awareness on business and human rights, and in the use of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) as a common platform for action by different actors, including governments, companies and investors, civil society, national human rights institutions, among others. However, implementation challenges persist.

Despite the growing development of National Action Plans (NAPs) and increased attention to corporate human rights due diligence (HRDD) and accountability, significant gaps remain between high-level policy commitments and on-the-ground realities. At the same time, ongoing polycrisis, marked by economic downturns, unconstitutional changes of government, debt crises, climate change, economic shocks, shrinking civic space, food insecurity, and geopolitical instability are intensifying existing human rights challenges in business activities, particularly in high-risk sectors such as extractives, raw materials, agriculture, and manufacturing. These challenges are more acutely suffered by individuals and communities at heightened risk of human rights violations and abuses due to discrimination and socioeconomic marginalization, including women and children, Indigenous Peoples, persons with different sexual orientation or gender identity, persons with disability, people living in rural areas, and workers.

In this fragile context, there is an urgent need to reimagine corporate accountability and strengthen rights-holder resilience through community-led action, legal and policy reforms, and inclusive institutions. This session will explore how empowered local actors, together with regional and international stakeholders, can drive transformative accountability and mitigate the gendered, generational, and geographic inequalities deepened by today's polycrisis. These efforts go beyond conventional compliance, demanding structural reforms that redistribute power, ensure meaningful participation, and prioritize the rights of those most affected by business activities.This session builds on outcomes from regional dialogues such as the African BHR Forums, and national consultations.

Key objectives of the session:

• Address the polycrisis context by identifying how overlapping crises are compounding risks for individuals and groups at heightened risk in Africa's business landscapes;
• Bridge the gap between business and human rights policy frameworks and their implementation, including through South-South knowledge exchange;
• Highlight local empowerment through community-led monitoring, effective HRDD, and participatory multistakeholder initiatives;
• Promote transformative accountability through practical examples where impacted rights-holders not only participate but are empowered to assessing risks, and demanding remedies; and
• Catalyze partnerships to strengthen coherence between development cooperation, responsible business, and access to remedy in fragile and high-risk settings.