On 8 September 2016, the final conference of the project ‘Human Rights in Business’ took place. The research project, coordinated by Globernance Institute for Democratic Governance in Bilbao, explored judicial and non-judicial remedies within the EU to hold companies domiciled in a Member State liable for human rights violations for which they or their subcontractors are responsible, wherever the damage might have occurred. It hereby wants to answer the question how parties concerned by human rights violations, may they directly or indirectly be caused by corporate actions, are able to receive judicial remedy and compensation. Julia Planitzer, senior researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, presented the results of her work regarding Non-Judicial Remedies: Company-Based Grievance Mechanisms and International Arbitration in Brussels.

Read the summary of the results of the research project here. Furthermore, a handbook for civil society organisations and human rights defenders has been developed and is now accessible at http://humanrightsinbusiness.eu/. The handbook is available in four languages including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. The videos and podcasts of the training sessions which were held in the context of the project and other materials will be accessible shortly here.

The project was co-funded by the European Commission (Grant agreement No. JUST/2013/JCIV/AG/4661), the Austrian Ministry for Social Affairs and the Chamber of Labour in Vienna.

For further questions on the project please get in touch with Dr. Julia Planitzer (whyvn.cynavgmre@havivr.np.ng)