Human Rights Institutions was jointly organized by the ICC and the United Nations Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) and hosted by the Scotland
National Human Rights Commission in Edinburgh, Scotland on October 8-10, 2010.
This year's theme was "Business and Human Rights: the Role of NHRIs." At the
International Conference, discussions were centered on the framework proposed by the
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General whose three pillars are: the State's
duty to protect all human rights from abuses by transnational corporations and other
business enterprises; corporate responsibility to respect all human rights and the need for
access to effective remedies; as well as the role of NHRIs.
The Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General, John Ruggie, who attended
the conference to deliver a keynote speech, emphasized the importance of NHRIs in
dealing with the theme of business and human rights, while UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Navanthem Pillay and the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson also
called for an active role of NHRIs in their keynote presentations.
The Commission also attended the International Conference and delivered a
presentation titled "New Challenges and New Changes for NHRIs: the National Human
Rights Commission of Korea's Activities on Business and Human Rights and Future
Outlook." It had meetings with the three distinguished guests as well as with
representatives from other NHRIs to discuss ways for continued collaboration in the future.
The Commission also played an active role in the International Conference,
participating as a representative for the Asia-Pacific region in the Final Declaration (the
Edinburgh Declaration) Drafting Committee and strived to bid for organizing a workshop
in the Asia-Pacific region on the theme of business and human rights in 2011. As a result,
the Commission plans to host a large international conference organized by the United
Nations, the ICC, the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) and
hosted by the Commission and the UN Global Compact Network Korea in October 2011.
in Seoul, Korea.
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Part II. Major Activities of the Commission