The NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment organised its First Annual Conference on Business, Human Rights and Sustainability in partnership with PLMJ, the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as NOVA 4 The Globe. The conference took place virtually on the 24th and 25th of November 2021. Topics discussed included Business and Children’s Rights, Corporate Due Diligence and the Digital Transition, Migrant Workers and Decent Work, Corporate Due Diligence and Capital Markets and Business and Human Rights in Portugal.

Panellists came from over 12 countries and included the Secretary-General of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, the EU Commissioner Didier Reynders (through video message), and legal practitioners, legal scholars, social scientists, economists, members of the UN, members of the ILO, members of the Portuguese Government, businesses, asset managers, judges, members of NGOs.

The conference was well attended with over 200 people participating in the various panels (cumulatively). The recordings of the conference are available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-nhpM0FLB0&t=2135s

Introductory speeches:

Dussu Djabula, Research Assistant at the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment and President of HeForShe Lisboa: An intersectional perspective on Climate Change.

João Pedro Guimarães, Secretary General of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce: The importance of Business, Human Rights and Sustainability for Portuguese Companies.

Claire Bright, Assistant Professor at Nova School of Law and Director of the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment: Business, Human Rights and Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities.