The International Bar Association (IBA) is marking the United Nations World Day of Social Justice by reminding lawyers of two of its published guidelines that recommend frameworks for the integration of human rights and environmental due diligence regulations: the Updated IBA Business and Human Rights Guidance for Bar Associations (Updated Bar Guidance); and the Updated IBA Guidance Note on Business and Human Rights: The role of lawyers in the changing landscape (Updated Lawyers Guidance).
By supporting the rule of law, sustainable development (that benefits all stakeholders, including businesses) and human dignity, the two IBA guidance documents assist in achieving social justice.
The action plans presented in both guidance documents align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an international blueprint for peace and prosperity, which enshrines the UN's mission to advance human rights, peace and security globally. Among the actions are:
- 1. developing a strategy for engaging with members on business human rights issues;
- 2. promoting, participating in and establishing educational programmes - including mentoring programmes - for law students and practitioners on the relevance of business human rights to legal practice;
- 3. increasing lawyers' awareness of ethical considerations associated with business human rights;
- 4. providing technical assistance and guidance to help strengthen lawyers' institutional and individual capacity to adopt effective business human rights practices; and
- 5. involving the legal profession in work to integrate business and human rights principles in domestic policy and legislation.
As the number of lawyers advising their clients in respect of the human rights impacts of businesses across their value chains increases, the Updated Lawyers Guidance assists lawyers in incorporating human rights considerations into their practice, while the Updated Bar Guidance helps bar associations to support their members in this work.
