The International Bar Association (IBA) is commemorating the United Nations Human Rights Day by highlighting its ongoing work in protecting and promoting fundamental human rights for all people.
The IBA Committees play an integral part in the Association's continued support of the global legal community and lawyers' understanding of human rights in relation to the rule of law. The IBA Human Rights Law Committee (HRLC) has delivered a range of webinars on human rights topics, including Human trafficking and the rights of trafficked persons ; and Fair trial rights and the prosecution of alleged atrocities in Ukraine . Former HRLC Vice-Chair Federica d'Alessandra conducted a set of video interviews with prominent human rights lawyer and advocates highlighting the challenges of protecting human rights in the 21st century. Interviewees include former UN and International Criminal Court (ICC) representatives, including international justice expert and Nuremberg trials prosecutor, the late Benjamin Ferencz. There is also a podcast series created by former Committee Co-Vice Chairs Alka Pradhan and Melinda Taylor examining the A-Zs of litigating and documenting torture.
The IBA Business Human Rights Committee has also had an active role in improving the legal community's understanding of the intersection between business and human rights. Recent publications from the committee include: The indirect horizontal effect of human rights - aligning people and planet in Shell v Milieudefensie and The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive: key requirements and considerations around alignment with the UNGPs . The UN Global Compact and the IBA, supported by LexisNexis , have also produced three modules for a video training series, Lawyers as Leaders , focusing on the essential role of legal counsel in the corporate sustainability agenda.
In addition to the work undertaken by the IBA's Committees, the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit (LPRU) has embarked on a project to improve the knowledge base of the international legal community when it comes to business and human rights. In 2023, the LPRU published the Updated IBA Guidance Note on Business and Human Rights: The role of lawyers in the changing landscape to help lawyers across the world to understand the increasing relevant of business human rights to legal practice.
In 2024, the LPRU issued the complementary handbook, Updated IBA Guidance on Business and Human Rights for Bar Associations , acknowledging the critical role played by bars in assisting lawyers and law firms to comprehend recent developments in business and human rights law. The LPRU has also produced a handbook for lawyers on business and human rights, and devised a training programme for legal institutions to improve their knowledge in this area.
This year's theme for the UN Human Rights Day is Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now. Human rights can create a better tomorrow by empowering individuals and communities to become more peaceful, equal and sustainable. This year's theme is a call to acknowledge the importance and relevance of human rights in everyday lives. Societies can be improved by speaking up against hate speech, correcting misinformation and challenging disinformation.
