The problem

Human rights defenders (HRDs) face a lack of comprehensive information on the domestic and international routes to remedy that can be used to access remedy for retaliatory attacks, when working on business-related human rights abuses. The challenges faced by HRDs in Southeast Asia were bottomed out in a Safe Space Dialogue, hosted in collaboration with UNDP and the UNWG on Business and Human Rights, where human rights defenders and CSOs in the Asia Pacific region had the opportunity to share their first-hand knowledge about the risks they face and the barriers they have encountered when seeking remedy for retaliatory attacks including SLAPPs and violence.

Results

The breadth of the Routes 2 Remedy Toolkit facilitated a holistic picture of available remedies for HRDs when they suffer harm in retaliation for their work on business-related human rights abuses by integrating various levels and types of routes to remedies – international, domestic, grassroots, judicial, non-judicial, State-based, and non-State-based. It is a living online instrument which will be further developed and expanded over time to include other information and resources available. The Toolkit was cited in UNDP’s Annual Report here.

How we tackled this

Business & Human Rights Compliance created an online Routes2Remedy Toolkit for HRDs in Southeast Asia that lists the domestic and international routes to remedy for 11 types of human rights abuses and retaliatory attacks including SLAPPs, violence, harassment, and false imprisonment. The Toolkit focuses on 7 countries: Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam and also provides a list of resources and CSOs that can be contacted. Once the Toolkit had been developed, BHRC led practical workshops to demo the Toolkit, provide detailed information on the available remedies and train HRDs on the essential investigative rules should be followed when documenting and gathering evidence on human rights violations.

Partner

Susie Hughes, Executive Director, Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China

Engaging the team has been a game changer. Communication from the outset was friendly and professional and great care was taken to ensure that the scope of work proposed met our needs. The resulting Legal Advisory Report and Policy Guidance documents exceeded our expectations.”

Susie Hughes, Executive Director, Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China

Online Toolkit