The Centre

The NOVA BHRE is an innovative and multidisciplinary academic centre within NOVA School of Law. It was founded in 2020 by its current Director, Professor Claire Bright, and actively involves undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students in its activities, as well as renown national and international experts.

The main goal of the NOVA BHRE is to contribute to fostering responsible and Sustainable business conduct in Portugal, Europe and beyond that upholds respect for human rights, decent work and environmental standards throughout global value chains. In this way it aims to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals which seek to realize the human rights of all.

The work carried out by various members of the NOVA BHRE has helped shape the laws and policies of various countries (Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Tunisia).

In addition, through awareness-raising and capacity building activities with companies, governments, and civil society organizations, the work of the NOVA BHRE is contributing to provide a thorough understanding of the theory but also the practice of corporate human rights and environmental due diligence.

The impact of the activities of the NOVA BHRE can be observed at 3 levels in particular:

1) The policy-making level: the research that the members of the NOVA BHRE have carried out and disseminated has informed policymakers at the national and regional (European) levels, and more specifically’:

– In Portugal, the NOVA BHRE co-authored study for the Portuguese Government to inform the development of its First National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. The report was launched as part of the ‘Policy Roundtable on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Draft Directive organised by the NOVA BHRE, and which featured interventions by Heidi Hautala, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Bärbel Kofler, German Parliamentary Secretary of State, Portuguese MEP from the S&D group, and Dominique Potier, Member of the French Parliament, as well as representatives from the private sector, civil society, academia and youth ambassadors.

– In Belgium, Claire Bright co-authored a study for a consortium of civil society organizations together with Diana Lica, Axel Marx and Geert Van Calster which formed the basis of a legislative proposal on mandatory human rights due diligence in Belgium and is now working in collaboration with Axel Marx, Huib Huyse and Boris Verbrugge to inform the Belgium Government in the transposition of the CSDDD.

– In Tunisia, Claire Bright led a research project with the UN Development Programme where she drafted a report as well as led awareness-raising activities to inform the Tunisian Government in the development its first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

– At the European level, Claire Bright co-authored the BIICL-led study for the European Commission on Due Diligence Requirements through the Supply Chain which forms the basis of the recently adopted Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

2) Capacity building and awareness-raising: The NOVA BHRE put in place and delivered multiple capacity-building initiatives through workshops and trainings in Portugal (within the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other business organizations), in the UK (with the British Institute of International and Comparative Law) as well as in Tunisia and Mozambique (as part of projects coordinated the UN Development Programme and supported by the Government of Japan). These activities have helped companies but also civil society organisations and government members understand the theory but also the practice of corporate human rights and environmental due diligence. These initiatives include, inter alia:

– E-course – ESG: Due Diligence and Reporting, delivered in Portuguese to over 40 companies and practitioners in September – November 2024.

– Human Rights Due Diligence training in Tunisia, delivered in French to over 80 business representatives (from public and private companies) as well as to government officials in November 2023, January and September 2024, in the framework of a programme coordinated by the UN Development Programme. The training sessions were opened by the Tunisian Minister of the Environment, Mrs Leila Chikhaoui as well as the Japanese Ambassador in Tunisa, Mr Shinsuke Simizu.

– Business and Human Rights training in Mozambique, delivered in Portuguese to about 40 private companies of different sizes and sectors affiliated with to the Confederation of Business Associations of Mozambique (CTA) and the Mozambique-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in April 2023.

– Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence – Regulatory Challenges, training delivered to over 140 business participants from the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in December 2023.

3) Creating a platform of exchange for multistakeholders: The NOVA BHRE has led awareness-raising activities and organized high-level events, and published podcasts and blog posts featuring perspectives from multistakeholders. This includes over 200 blog posts published on the website of the NOVA BHRE blog and over 30 podcast episodes recorded. In addition, the NOVA BHRE organises, each year, a major pluridisciplinary annual conference which has welcomed high level speakers such as the late John Ruggie, the EU Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reyders, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Heidi Hautala, MEPs, government representatives (including various Portuguese Secretary of State, former ministers and ambassadors) but also UN representatives, business representatives (such as Jerónimo Martins, Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz, etc.), NGOs, trade unions as well as academic from various disciplines. In this way, the Centre acts as a platform for the exchange of ideas, facilitating strong connections and collaborations between multistakeholders.