1️⃣ Fostering policy dialogue on the transposition of the CSDDD
In 2025, the NOVA BHRE fostered high-level policy dialogue on the national transposition of the CSDDD and on navigating legal uncertainties arising from the Omnibus package, notably through a dedicated policymaker workshop held at NOVA School of Law and organised in partnership with BIICL and KU Leuven. The event brought together 20 policymakers from 9 countries and over 30 experts from 15 countries across five continents, with discussions directly informing the development of a series of publicly available policy briefs.
In parallel, NOVA BHRE co-authored a study on the implementation and national transposition of the CSDDD for the Belgian Ministry of Economy. Drawing on desk-based research and expert consultations, the study combined comparative legal analyses across jurisdictions with concrete, practice-oriented guidance on legislative design choices, enforcement mechanisms, and coherence with existing Belgian and EU legal frameworks.
2️⃣ High impact publications
The societal relevance of NOVA BHRE’s research agenda was recognised through the award of the NOVA School of Law Excellence and Social Impact Prize, funded by Jurisnova, and awarded to our Director, Claire Bright, in February 2025.
NOVA BHRE’s members published influential work, including:
- a Special Issue of the Business and Human Rights Journal on “Beyond Just Transition: Advancing Responsible and Rights-Based Business Practices in the Energy and Extractives Sector”, edited by Damilola Olawuyi, Claire Bright, Samentha Goethals and Qaraman Hasan and published in May 2025;
- the book (in Spanish) edited by Laura Íñigo Álvarez and Daniel Iglesias Márquez (2025), Introducción al Estudio de Empresas y Derechos Humanos: Temas, Conceptos y Materiales, published by Colex in July 2025.
- the Guide “Business and Affected Communities”, authored by Céline da Graça Pires for the UN Global Compact France (available in French and English) which draws on real-life experiences from communities, Indigenous and tribal peoples, and businesses to improve existing practices and offer actionable recommendations;
- Various articles included the one co-authored by Samentha Goethals, Claire Bright and Christian Linder, Towards a Justice-Oriented Human Rights Due Diligence Approach for Migrant Labor published in Business & Society in November 2025.
3️⃣ Evidence-based research on just transition and responsible business conduct
The NOVA BHRE actively contributed to major international research projects addressing just transition, and responsible business conduct, including:
– FRONTIERS, a project led by Professor Karin Buhmann examining practices in the mining sector and the role of institutional investors in shaping industry conduct and impacts;
– Jean Monnet Policy Network NEAR-ER (EU–Africa relations), which advances knowledge, fosters informed policy debate, and strengthens academic cooperation between Europe and Africa.
– The Erasmus+ project: Corporate Respect for Human Rights in Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (CAHRA), which addresses the urgent need for effective implementation of human rights due diligence by companies operating in, or sourcing from, conflict-affected and high-risk contexts.
4️⃣ Capacity-building and awareness raising
The NOVA BHRE and its members presented at dozens of international conferences and high-level events in 2025, including COP30, the Web Summit, and the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights.
The NOVA BHRE also delivered its annual executive course on ESG Due Diligence and Reporting in Portuguese, co-developed with the NOVA Green Lab led by Claire Bright and Lucila de Almeida, empowering companies, legal professionals, and NGOs by translating theory into practice and supporting the real-world implementation of human rights and environmental due diligence.
In parallel, NOVA BHRE members contributed to and delivered specialised trainings at institutions such as Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, the 3rd Central and Eastern Europe & Central Asia Summer Academy on Business and Human Rights, and the Business & Human Rights Summer School, with sessions dedicated to responsible contracting, stakeholder engagement, and access to remedy.
In addition, NOVA BHRE contributed to the Toolbox on Business and Human Rights developed by the Belgian Federal Institute for Sustainable Development with the support of the Council of Europe, notably by clarifying what is expected of companies under the business and human rights legal framework and translating due diligence and reporting obligations into practical, actionable guidance.
5️⃣ Advancing responsible contracting in global supply chains
The NOVA BHRE contributed to the work of the Responsible Contracting Project led by Professor Sarah Dadush by advancing due diligence-aligned contracting practices. This work included the participation of our director, Claire Bright, in the development of the European Model Clauses (EMCs) for Responsible and Sustainable Supply Chains. NOVA BHRE also presented the core principles of responsible contracting in a range of international fora, including high-level webinars such as those organised by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, as well as in engagements with the European Commission. This work was complemented by direct engagement with companies, supporting them in translating responsible contracting principles into practice, notably through the integration of these principles into suppliers’ codes of conduct and other internal contractual and governance documents.
Heartfelt thanks to all members of the NOVA BHRE, and to our partners and collaborators, for an exceptionally fruitful year of achievements, collaboration, and continued trust.
