On 2 & 4 March 2021, UNEP FI collaborated with the Thai Government Pension Fund and Thai Stock Exchange to offer a webinar on human rights targeted at investors (institutional investors and asset managers), banks, financial regulators, other financial industry actors, and corporates in Thailand and in the region.
The webinar raised awareness of how financial institutions can implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. In 2019, the Thai government published the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights under which banks are encouraged to assess social and environmental risks before approving loans for investment and the Securities and Exchange Commission is to introduce voluntary or semi-compulsory disclosure measures, among others.
The UN Guiding Principles clarify that businesses’ corporate responsibility is to set out a policy commitment to respect human rights and have in place due diligence process to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how business address their adverse human rights impacts.
The session guides participants in developing their understanding of what is human rights, what are some of the infringements seen in business activities in Thailand and internationally, and what are the best practices by investors and banks to protect human rights.
The agenda can be found here.
Listen to the recording here.