From October 15-25, 2019, Irene Aguilar, BLP Director of Sustainability, participated in the workshop discussion Towards Respect for Human Rights in Business Activities at the XXXVII Interdisciplinary Course on Human Rights at the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, in San José, Costa Rica. This course, which is held annually, is the most important human rights training activity worldwide.
For 2019, the thematic axis of the course starts by establishing that “The contribution of international protection systems has required that the observance and protection of human rights be understood as a field of political action and social impact, beyond simply a question of legality. An expansive interpretation of the American Convention on Human Rights (CADH) demands the effort to extend knowledge and understanding about the legitimate and necessary interaction between international human rights law and the internal regulatory frameworks of our countries. ” This year the course is entitled “New Dimensions of the Justiciability of Rights: Fifty Years of the CADH.”
Earlier this year, BLP established the legal practice area of Human Rights, Business & Development derived from the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights established in 2011. This practice presents its clients with the possibility of examining processes, business policies and managerial decisions from the vantage of international protection of human rights. BLP considers of great importance joining the in-depth analysis of the role of companies as organs of society that develop specific functions in full compliance with the legal regulations of the countries in which such companies conduct commercial activity. In addition to complying with legal requirements, the principles guide commercial enterprises in fulfilling their responsibility toward the protection of human rights both within organizations and without, in relation to any person or context encountered in the course of business.
The firm continually addresses questions related to issues of diversity, accessibility, educational inclusion, gender equity, non-discrimination, etc., which may arise in cases related to legal practices (banking, labor, administrative law, etc.) and to this end, makes available to clients an experienced and prepared work team in business law, litigation, public international law, human rights and sustainability, and social development issues.
With representation by Irene Aguilar, BLP meets the invitation of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights that promotes, with the participation of experts in the subject, the analysis of a set of “structural indicators that, taking into account the characteristics of the region, allow States and other interested parties to have a clear diagnostic tool aligned with the main legal tradition of the region, as well as with current regional and international obligations. Thus, this set of indicators seeks to facilitate the identification of progress and challenges in fulfilling the international obligations of the State in the light of the Guiding Principles. ”