Deadline: 23 May 2020
The UNDP Asia-tacific, Bangkok Regional Hub, Business and Human Rights unit (B+HR Asia), is playing a central role in promoting the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in Asia.
UNDP’s regional project on Business and Human Rights, titled “Business and Human Rights in Asia: Promoting Responsible Business Practices through Regional Partnerships”, (B+HR Asia) drives progress on BHR through technical advisory, awareness-raising, and capacity building support to governments, businesses, civil society organizations (CSOs), and independent national human rights institutions (NHRIs). Partnering with an array of champions including media professionals, technical experts, and human rights defenders, B+HR Asia works to ensure the effective implementation of the UNGPs.
Ultimately, the research study aims at:
- Assessing the current status of implementation of the UNGPs in South and Southeast Asia;
- Identify the factors that enabled progress on BHR and the barriers that impede implementation of UNGPs in Asia; and
- Provide recommendations to promote the BHR discourse effectively among a range of stakeholders in the years to come in South and Southeast Asia.
Scope of Work
The consultant will work under the guidance and supervision of the Manager of the Business and Human Rights project and in collaboration with support from project team members. Specific results to be achieved by the IC are listed below.
- Produce a research plan in consultation with the manager of the business and human rights project. This result is comprised of following major tasks:
- Conduct preliminary desk research to identify gaps in data and analysis concerning the status of BHR in South and Southeast Asia;
- Based on preliminary research, propose the different chapters to be included in the knowledge product and outline their contents, which shall be structured along the three pillars (“protect, respect, remedy”) of the UNGPs and all their respective Guiding Principles and themes; outline the specific activities to be undertaken, suitable to accomplish the deliverables 2 and 3 listed below.
- Create a research methodology and structure and outline the specific activities to be undertaken, suitable to accomplish the deliverables 2 and 3 listed below.
- Report on the ‘Status of BHR in South and Southeast Asia’. This result is comprised of following major tasks:
- Research and outline the main developments on BHR progress and the implementation of the IUNGPs, following the structure outlined under deliverable 1 listed above;
- Report on Pillar I, covering the following themes and Guiding Principles: foundational principles of the State duty to protect (Guiding Principles 1 and 2), general State regulatory and policy functions in relation to BHR (Guiding Principle 3); the State-business nexus (Guiding Principles 4-6), business respect for human rights in conflict situations (Guiding Principle 7), horizontal and vertical policy coherence (Guiding Principles 8-10);
- Report on Pillar II, covering the following themes and Guiding Principles: foundational principles on the corporate responsibility to respect (Guiding Principles 11-15), policy commitments (Guiding Principle 16), human rights due diligence (Guiding Principles 17-21), and business provision or cooperation in remediation (Guiding Principle 22), issues of context (Guiding Principles 24);
- Report on Pillar Ill, covering the following themes and Guiding Principles: foundational principle of access to effective remedy (Guiding Principle 25); State-based judicial mechanisms (Guiding Principle 26), State-based non-judicial grievance mechanisms (Guiding Principle 27), non-State based grievance mechanisms (Guiding Principle 28-30), effectiveness criteria for non-judicial grievance mechanisms (Guiding Principle 31);
- Report on lived experiences of rights holders in the context of human rights impacts of businesses.
- Provide recommendations to progress BHR in Asia. This result is comprised of following major tasks:
- Analyse existing trends, challenges and strategies;
- Articulate concrete and practical recommendations to various stakeholders (including at least governments, national human rights institutions, business enterprises) on how to progress the BHR discourse in Asia;
- Validate research findings and launch final report
- Validate research findings through peer-review, including by UNDP Business and Human Rights unit
- Finalise and launch report.
Deliverables/ Outputs
- Research Plan – 2 Weeks
- Draftstudy, inclusive of recommendations, for validation – 15 Weeks
- Validation through peer-review – 4 Weeks
- Final report – 2 Weeks
Duty Station
The consultancy will be home-based and shall set-up a schedule to engage with the project team through video conference or other remote communication tools.
Required Skills and Experience
- Education and Experience
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) or PhD in law, governance, anthropology, social science, political science, business management, or related discipline(s);
- 7+ years of research on documentation on human rights/social and development issues;
- 5+ years of work experience related to business and human rights;
- Demonstrated understanding of geo-political situation and experience in Asian countries, on a wide range of business and human rights issues, with various types of stakeholders (e.g. government NHRIs, businesses, civil society);
- Demonstrated capacity to conduct multi-discipline, cross-sector and cross country research;
- Expertise in writing and documenting research reports.
- Skills
- Demonstrable research skills;
- Results-driven, initiative-taking, ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines;
- Ability to work independently or with very limited guidance.
- Highly motivated with a positive attitude and problem-solving approach;
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
For more information, visit https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=65776