The Era of Business Resilience - Navigating Human Rights in Global Supply Chains

Managing human rights in global supply chains presents a range of new challenges for companies committed to advancing human rights. Procurement has become ever more important for implementing human rights commitments through purchasing processes and supplier relationships.  

Join us for an in-person, interactive skill-building training for procurement professionals to enhance your organization’s risk management and supply chain resilience.  

This immersive function-specific training explores human rights due diligence from a sourcing perspective, offering real-life examples of managing sustainability risks through responsible purchasing practices, and scenario-based, interactive exercises tailored to procurement and buying processes applicable to both SMEs and MNCs.  

We will discuss pertinent challenges, such as establishing traceability, accessing remote or informal parts of the supply chain, setting up meaningful engagements with stakeholders in the supply chains, and scaling promising solutions and pilot projects.  

The training is designed and delivered by experts from the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights. The half-day program will revolve around real-world cases and scenarios that we developed based on our research and practical insights. We will facilitate an open discussion and guide the participants through practice-based examples, including from the participants’ own work.  

The training will focus on key human rights issues and examples for watchmaking, jewellery and manufacturing companies.  

With only limited seats available, this training is an excellent opportunity to connect with peers and discuss shared challenges in sustainable procurement.

What attendees can expect :

• Key insights into business and human rights in procurement 

• Overview of corporate sustainability and due diligence laws 

• Tools to identify and map human rights risks in supply chains 

• Strategies to leverage influence within organizations and industries 

• Practical tips on building supplier trust and tracking progress 

Lead instructors :

• Prof. Dr. Dorothée Baumann-Pauly, Director, Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights 

• Dr. Berit Knaak, Associate Director, Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights

• Auret van Heerden, Consultant, Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights 

Prof. Dr. Dorothée Baumann-Pauly. Dorothée Baumann-Pauly is a Professor at University of Geneva’s School of Economics and Management and directs the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights (GCBHR). Since 2013, she has also served as the Research Director at the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. In these roles, Dorothée works with companies to advance human rights in corporate practice. Her applied research is focused on embedding human rights in organizations and developing business models that enable profits and human rights principles to coexist. Dorothée teaches Business and Human Rights (BHR) and she co-edited the first textbook on Business and Human Rights (Routledge 2016) as well as the upcoming book "Transforming Business - Aligning Profits with Human Rights" (Routledge 2026). In 2016, she co-founded the Global Business School Network for BHR Impact Community to integrate human rights in business education as well as the BHR Young Researchers Summit for emerging scholars. Dorothée earned her PhD in Economics (summa cum laude) at the University of Zurich in 2010 while working for the Fair Labor Association, a multi-stakeholder initiative with the mission to improve labor rights in global supply chains. 

Dr. Berit Knaak. Dr. Berit Knaak is Associate Director at the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights at the University of Geneva’s School of Economics and Management. She completed her Ph.D. in Management with a focus on integrating human rights in business at the University of St.Gallen in 2020. In her work, Berit focuses on resilient and ethical supply chains, studying innovative business models and multistakeholder approaches to address structural human rights issues. She has worked on diverse industries and issues, including agricultural supply chains, sustainable finance, child labor and fair recruitment of migrant workers. Berit has a dual background in economics and in human rights law, holding an MSc in International Business from Maastricht University and an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law from the University of Galway. During her time as doctoral researcher, she served as a fellow for the Business and Human Rights Journal.

Auret van Heerden. Auret van Heerden is a consultant working part-time for the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights, University of Geneva. He provides consulting, research and training services on all aspects of business and human rights and sustainable value chains, including human resource management, labor relations and social and environmental standards. Auret has public and private sector clients in the apparel and footwear, tech, FMCG and food and agriculture sectors. Before that Auret was the President and CEO of the Fair Labor Association in Washington DC from 2001 to 2013. From 1996 to 2001 he was responsible for the Special Action Programme on Social and Labor Issues in Export Processing Zones (EPZs) at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. His 40 years of experience in value chains in different sectors and countries equips him to advise clients and engage with all stakeholders to build partnerships and resolve conflicts. Auret is also the founder of Equiception.  

Programme:

This event will be held in English. 

Photo consent. We would like to inform you that photos and/or videos may be taken to commemorate this event. By participating, you authorize the CCIG, GCBHR and WJI 2030 to use these materials on various platforms to promote their activities.  

By registering for this event, you also agree that the list of attendees (name, first name, and company) will be shared with the participants.

To ensure deep discussions and an engaging workshop, capacity is limited to the first 25 registrations.  

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