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Stakeholder engagement [clear filter]
Monday, November 26
 

1:30pm CET

Driving human rights performance from the top in the mining sector – the role of the board and investors
http://webtv.un.org/search/panel-on-human-rights-in-mining-sector-forum-on-business-and-human-rights-2018/5971635102001/?term=&lan=english&cat=Forum%20on%20Business%20and%20Human%20Rights&page=2

Background to the discussion:
In January this year, Blackrock’s Chairman and CEO, Lawrence Fink, wrote an open letter to business leaders noting that, “to sustain… performance, you must understand the societal impact of your business”. Businesses have the potential to impact society in a range of ways, negatively and positively. Implementing the UN Guiding Principles allows companies to understand and address some of these potential impacts as they relate to human rights.  
Good governance and a strong board are critical to making respect for human rights part of how business gets done, thereby advancing a range of human rights in society, while protecting and creating value for the business. As Fink noted, “a company’s ability to manage environmental, social and governance matters demonstrates the leadership and good governance that is so essential to sustainable growth.” Board engagement is essential to improved performance over the long term, in providing rigorous oversight and accountability, in developing strategy and articulating purpose and responding to questions that are increasingly important to its investors, its consumers, and the communities in which it operates.

Key questions:
  • What does the board see from a governance perspective and what expertise do they bring to the table?
  • What do they discuss and how do they work with their CEO and management team in and out of the boardroom to manage risks to business and risks to people, reputation and long-term value to shareholders?
  • What challenges and opportunities do they see for improving performance in their sector? 
Jane Nelson, Board member of  Newmont, will offer her perspective on why this agenda matters to Newmont and how she is working with Newmont’s leadership to drive it forward, including highlighting some of the challenges they face in practice. 
Human rights have long been a concern of socially responsible investors, but there are indications that human rights are moving onto the agenda of mainstream investors. Why does this matter to investors and what do they expect to see in terms of board oversight and governance?
Tom Butler, CEO of ICMM, a CEO -led association of 27 global mining companies, will talk to the commitments ICMM member companies make on board oversight and governance and share reflections from the industry on investor engagement on social issues and human rights.

Format: 
This session will provide an opportunity for an interactive and constructive discussion where participants are able to engage directly with senior leaders on key human rights topics, with a focus on driving performance through knowing, showing and acting. It will complement the opening plenary session on the role of CEOs/ Senior management on leading from the top (see below).
The format and structure will be guided by input from the speakers and the moderator. One suggestion is that each panel member has 5 minutes for an opening pitch to the floor and then the moderator leads a discussion across the panel on 2-3 substantive issues before opening to the floor. We can gather Q&A from the floor during the session and pull them together for the moderator to select and ask.

Moderator/ Introductory Remark...
avatar for Caroline Rees

Caroline Rees

President, Shift
Caroline Rees is President and Co-Founder of Shift. Shift is a non-profit mission-driven organization that works across all continents and sectors to challenge assumptions, push boundaries, and redefine corporate practice, in order to build a world where business gets done with respect... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Tom Butler

Tom Butler

CEO, International Council on Mining and Metals
avatar for John Howchin

John Howchin

Secretary General, Swedish Council on Ethics for the AP Funds
I have worked with socially responsible investments and corporate social responsibility for over 20 years, cross all sectors and all around the world. Happy to talk about everything relevant.
AJ

Andy Jones

Head of Mining, Hermes Asset Management
JN

Jane Nelson

Director of Corporate Responsibility Initiative and Newmont Board member, Harvard Kennedy School
Jane Nelson has worked in the field of corporate responsibility and public-private partnerships for almost 30 years working with organizations such as The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the UN Global Compact... Read More →


Monday November 26, 2018 1:30pm - 2:45pm CET
Room XX
 
Tuesday, November 27
 

4:00pm CET

Snapshot: Building Trust between Human Rights Defenders and Financial Actors

Interpretation is provided in English and Spanish

Brief description of the presentation:
Civil society organizations (CSO) working to defend communities in the face of corporate human rights harms are fast becoming attuned to the role that institutional investors and corporate lenders play in incentivizing good corporate conduct. At the same time, we are witnessing a sea change in the way in which investors consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk. After years of debate over whether ESG investment pays, increasingly institutional investors are concluding that it does. These developments mark a critical moment in the effort to improve corporate human rights conduct. The next step is to strengthen communications and collaboration between civil society organizations and financial actors so that financial risks can be accurately identified and addressed.

Presentation objectives:
This snapshot will present the case for a CSO-Investor Dialogue Table, scheduled to start in early 2019. The purpose of the Dialogue Table is to build trust between financial professionals and human rights advocates in order to produce effective collaboration on human rights. For CSOs, the Dialogue Table is an opportunity to present the perspective of the victims of human rights violations and explain what they believe financial professionals need to do in order to prevent, mitigate and remediate those violations. For investors, it will be an opportunity to demystify civil society concerns in a safe setting, jointly develop solutions and to take appropriate measures to prevent human rights risks

Speakers
avatar for Joanne Bauer

Joanne Bauer

Co-Founder, Rights CoLab
I cofounded Rights CoLab two years ago to innovate human rights strategies in a time of closing civic space that bridge the fields of business, finance, technology, and civil society. I lead projects on integrating human rights into capital markets and on human rights-compatible models... Read More →


Tuesday November 27, 2018 4:00pm - 4:15pm CET
Room XXIV
 


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