Biennial Meeting of NHRIs Edinburgh, Scotland, 2010
IHRC President Dr Maurice Manning addressing delegates at the Biennial NHRI Conference, Scottish Parliament, October 2010 Credit Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament. Copyright 2010 Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Business and Human Rights
The Biennial Conference, hosted by the Scottish Human Rights Commission, in cooperation with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) saw international and regional experts, UN and EU officials, government representatives, civil society and business organisations discuss human rights and the role national institutions can play in improving human rights in a globalised world.
Keynote speakers included Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Business and Human Rights and Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights who called on NHRIs to deepen their work on human rights and business.
As Chair of the European Group of NHRIS, Dr Manning addressed delegates on the need for NHRIs to use a range of statutory powers to inform businesses and regulatory authorities on the basic human rights obligations of both States and non-State actors.
Professor Alan Miller, Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission and host of the Conference, stated: "The Edinburgh Declaration gives organisations like ours a road map on business and human rights at a time when private companies have increasing influence in so many parts of our lives."
Rosslyn Noonan, Chair of the International Coordinating Committee, and Chair of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, said: "We are at a tipping point. Successful businesses are crucial for development, but recognition and protection of human rights has not kept pace with the power and influence of globalised economies. Over the past three days we've come together as national human rights institutions to agree in the Declaration that more must be done to support businesses to understand their responsibilities, work we will be taking forwards collectively across the world."
The 2010 Biennial conference followed previous NHRI International Conferences held in Kenya (2008), Bolivia (2006), Korea (2004, Denmark (2002) and Morocco (2000).
Link to work of United Nations Special Representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises (SRSG)