Panel discussion

“Responsible Business Conduct for Post-War Reconstruction of Ukraine: Call from Civil Societies”

September 28, 2023, 13.00 – 18.00 (Kyiv time)

Co-organizers: International Laboratory of Business and Human of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (Ukraine) and Law Group of Wageningen University (The Netherlands)

In cooperation withCo-organizers:

Coordinator: Оlena Uvarova, PhD, Head of International Lab on Business and Human Rights, Centre for Research and projects support at the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, Visiting Researcher at the Law Group, Wageningen University

The event is part of the research project MSCA4UKRAINE “Solidarity as Responsible Business Conduct: beyond Corporate Respect for Human Rights”, funded by the European Union.

Concept

This year, a panel discussion on business and human rights presents a national dialogue about the concept of responsible business in the process of restoring Ukraine from the consequences of a full-scale Russian invasion. Ukrainian non-governmental organizations, business associations, trade unions, and academic community are invited to participate.

The main goal is to involve civil society in a dialoge on how responsible business conduct should be provided, which are gaps and barriers, what can be the role of non-governmental organizations in ensuring responsible business conduct.

Discussion builds on an open statement on the need to restore Ukraine on the basis of responsible business conduct:

• https://forms.gle/WCDhofUym9A5789Q6
• https://forms.gle/BC6DdftyKQkyP6Rh8

We invite all Forum participants to sign the open statement.

Attention will also be given to the tools civil society can use to ensure responsible business conduct during the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Additional topics for discussion:

• recent developments in the Business and Human Rights sphere, including the EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence
• correlation between corporate respect for human rights and sanctions (what is the role of non-governmental organizations and business associations)
• updated OECD Guidelines regarding responsible business conduct
• how OECD sees the role of NGOs and business associations in the process of restoring Ukraine

We plan to prepare and disseminate the brochure “Responsible Business Conduct for Reconstruction of Ukraine: Vision of Civil Society” as a result of the event. The brochure will be available in two languages – Ukrainian and English.

For this purpose, please send to the e-mail of the panel discussion coordinator, Olena Uvarova (o.o.uvarova@nlu.edu.ua), following information:

• activity direction
• organization name
• short organization description
• contacts
• organization vision on priority directions of ensuring responsible conduct of business in the process of restoration of Ukraine
• vision of your role in promoting responsible business conduct
• please share a link or briefly describe if there are any real situations where during the Russian war in Ukraine business illustrates or does not illustrate responsible conduct

Please provide this information by September 21, 2023.

Program

13.00 – 14.30 General discussion: Why is Ukraine’s reconstruction impossible without responsible business conduct?

Session 1: Standards of responsible business conduct and drivers of their implementation in Ukraine

Session 2: Does the program of Ukraine’s reconstruction take into account the standards of responsible business conduct?

14.30 – 16.00 Discussion of proposals, cases and roadmap for NGO, business and governmental cooperation

16.30 – 18.00 Civil society and universities cooperation to ensure responsible business conduct

We expect the results of panel discussion will be:

• catalogue of NGOs, Business Associations, Trade Unions, Universities and Research Centers with their defined roles, which they can play in ensuring / promoting responsible business conduct in Ukraine’s reconstruction process
• challenges’ mapping, practical cases collection
• discussion of the statement on ensuring responsible business conduct in the process of Ukraine’s reconstruction
• cooperation roadmap

Full event program