From ‘Small Places’ to New Frontiers - Marking 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
“Where do human rights begin? In small places close to home, the factory, the farm, the office” - these were the words of Eleanor Roosevelt in 1958.
Since then, our understanding of where human rights are most impacted has evolved, as has our understanding of the responsibilities of businesses to advance human rights.
Join IHRB and an inspiring panel for a discussion exploring the roles and responsibilities of businesses in the ‘small places’ and new frontiers where business has a profound impact on human rights, from the factory to the digital world, to the green economy.
Panellists and attendees will discuss how the human rights framework can act as a compass to navigate multiple crises facing humanity - the existential threat of climate change, violent and protracted conflict, persistent inequality, the rise of ungoverned AI, multilateral breakdown, and the role of the private sector in each.
Hosted at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York on Monday 11th December, this half-day event is part of a reflection on human rights to mark 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Event summary
The Declaration calls for "all organs of society" to respect human rights, and during the rest of her life Eleanor Roosevelt spoke about making human rights a reality "on the farm, in the factory and in the office".
How far have we come in making this vision a reality, and what are the responsibilities of businesses to advance human rights in these places?
Two panels made up of leading thinkers from business, civil society and academia discussed this topic by exploring the role of businesses in the ‘small places’ and new frontiers where human rights are profoundly impacted, from the factory to the digital world, to the green economy.
Speakers
Lucas Benitez
Coalition of Immokalee Workers/Fair Food Program
Jason Judd
ILR Global Labor Institute, Cornell University
Marcela Manubens
Roxbury Global, former Unilever and PVH Corp
Iain Levine
Director, Human Rights Policy, Meta
Priyanka Motaparthy
Director of the Armed Conflict, Counterterrorism, and Human Rights Project at Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute
Usha Ramanathan
Human Rights Scholar
Agenda
PART I: The ‘Small Places’ - How has the Business Role in Advancing Human Rights Evolved Over the Last 75 Years? (90 min)
Moderator: Julia Batho, Deputy CEO, IHRB
“Where do human rights begin? In small places close to home - the factory, the farm, the office”. These were three places Eleanor Roosevelt identified on the UDHR’s 10th anniversary to signal the importance of rights in people’s everyday lives. This session will reflect on the evolution of debates on business responsibilities for human rights and examine where progress has been made, as well as where critical challenges remain in ensuring responsible business leadership in the years ahead.
TEA / COFFEE BREAK (15 min)
PART II: New Frontiers - How Can We Address Emerging Human Rights Challenges? (90 min)
Moderator: John Morrison, CEO, IHRB
Today, as the world faces the existential threat of climate change, alongside ongoing conflict, and persistent inequality undermining multilateral solidarity, the roles and responsibilities of business in advancing the human rights agenda are even more necessary. This session will discuss the new frontiers emerging - from AI to the green transition - where business leadership will be critical in determining whether progress on human rights can be achieved in the years ahead.
