NOVA BHRE Newsletter 

July 2024

Save the Date for the 4^th Annual Conference of the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment on "Unpacking Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence".  The event will take place on the 19^th of November 2024 in-person at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon and will be live-streamed. It is organized in partnership with NOVA SBE and the NOVA Green Lab and with the support of PLMJ. Programme and details about registration available here.

Organization Committee: Claire Bright, Céline da Graça Pires, Ana Santos Duarte, Alison Holm, Laura Iñigo Álvarez, and Anaïs Tobalagba.

On the 18^th of July, NOVA BHRE participated in the webinar organised by the Direção-Geral das atividades económicas on the topic of “Conduta Empresarial Responsável e Transparência: Responder a Desafios Emergentes”. The webinar, moderated by Claire Bright, featured Catarina Taveres from União Geral dos Trabalhadores (UGT), Joana Freitas from Transparência Internacional Portugal, Miriam Ingrans from OECD Watch, and Paula Moreira from Associação Empresarial de Portugal.

On the 11^th and 12^th of July 2024, the NOVA BHRE participated in the International Conference of the Jean Monnet Module on EU Insurance Law: Challenges in the SDG Era coordinated by Margarida Lima Rego, Maria del Val Bolívar Oñoro, and Maria Elisabete Ramos as Anaïs Tobalagba discussed the relevance of the CSDDD for the insurance sector.

On the 4^th June 2024, NOVA BHRE Visiting Researcher Anaïs Tobalagba presented on the gender dimension of human rights and environmental due diligence at the conference "Empresas e Direitos Humanos - Nova Diretiva, Novo Paradigma" organised by the Comissão dos Direitos Humanos of the Ordem dos Advogados Portugueses.

On the 15^th and 16^th May 2024, Céline da Graça Pires spoke at a conference on the French due diligence law after five years of implementation: (in)effectiveness, (un accountability and (in)justice coorganized by the Asser Institute and the University of Wageningen, on behalf of the NOVA BHRE.

🇵🇹 Sara Pacheco, "A importância de envolver os profissionais de gestão no cumprimento da responsabilidade das empresas de respeitar os direitos humanos", July 2024.

🇵🇹 Luís Prata e Castro e Teresa Brito e Faro, "Caso G-Star Raw vs Vert: a Contratação e Cessação Responsável como novo dever no âmbito da Responsabilidade Social Corporativa?", July 2024

Ep. 28: O Papel do Ponto de Contacto Nacional Português para Condutas Empresariais Responsáveis

🇵🇹 Neste episódio do nosso podcast abordamos as Diretrizes da OCDE para as Empresas Multinacionais e o respetivo papel do Ponto de Contacto Nacional Português (PCN PT) para Conduta Empresarial Responsável. A composição, papel e atividades desenvolvidas do PT PCN são discutidas, tal como as alterações e impactos da atualização de 2023 das Diretrizes da OCDE. A gestão de instância específicas é também referida, enquanto papel central do PCN PT. A intensificação das atividades do PCN PT aliado a um maior envolvimento com os stakeholders são fatores-chave para promover e apoiar as empresas portuguesas na adoção de uma conduta empresarial responsável e permitem antecipar as futuras obrigações legislativas em matéria de conduta empresarial responsável. 

Esta discussão conta a participação da Dra. Fernanda Ferreira Dias, Diretora-Geral das Atividades Económicas e a Dra. Carla Sousa Pinto, Diretora de Serviços de Sustentabilidade Empresarial na Direção Geral das Atividades Económicas e são conduzidas pelo nosso entrevistador Luís Prata e Castro, mestrando na NOVA School of Law e Research Associate do NOVA BHRE.

O episódio está disponível em:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episo...

Ep. 27: Ensuring Effective Access to Remedy through Grievance Mechanisms

In this podcast episode, we discuss how grievance mechanisms can contribute to ensuring effective access to remedy in case of adverse human rights impact linked to corporate activities. More specifically, we discuss Fair Wear Foundation’s grievance mechanisms, a multi-stakeholder organisation of trade union, industry, and NGO constituencies that advances human rights in the garment sector through effective due diligence. This episode counts with the participation of Liselotte Goemans, the Grievance Mechanism Coordinator at the Fair Wear Foundation, which includes developing the strategic directions of the grievance mechanism and ensuring its quality and consistency in implementation. She also works on industry outreach, collaboration and alignment related to access to remedy. Liselotte has a background in cultural anthropology. The episode was conducted by our Research Assistant, Maria Ana Lourenço.

The episode is available here: 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episo...

Ep. 26: Lithium Mining and its Impact on Human Rights and the Environment

In this podcast episode, we welcome Anaïs Tobalagba (Business and Human Rights Consultant and a visiting researcher at the NOVA BHRE), Dr Helle Abelvik-Lawson (business, human rights and environment researcher) and Catarina Alves Scarrott (Portuguese activist with a special focus on the lithium open-pit mining project in Covas do Barroso, Portugal as well as a teacher in London) to discuss lithium mining and its impact on human rights and the environment, with a special focus on the Lithium Triangle in South America and in the region of Covas do Barroso, Portugal. The podcast was coordinated by Matilde Carreira, undergraduate student at NOVA School of Law and Research Assistant at the NOVA BHRE and the interview was conducted by Anaïs Tobalagba.

The episode is available here:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/suPpqey7oXE
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episo...