Empty Rituals or Workable Models? Towards a Business and Human Rights Treaty

Within the still-emerging field of business and human rights (‘BHR’), the question of whether a treaty is required in order meaningfully to address BHR ‘governance gaps’ is one that is attracting renewed advocacy, commentary and diplomatic activity. By contrast, when the United Nations (‘UN’) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (‘UNGPs’) were first adopted in 2011, the balance of opinion amongst duty-bearers appears to have been that this issue should be set aside.