Term of Project：1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026
Amount：NT.1,600,000
Content of Project
The project will increase awareness of corporate accountability mechanisms for communities and workers, especially in regions disproportionately affected by corporate negligence, to ensure that legal avenues for justice are visible, accessible, and actionable.
It will also expand their litigation and advocacy tools to support effective use of legal frameworks, especially in the Global South, for both direct action and preventative negotiations with corporate actors.
Finally, they will inform decision-makers on real-world experiences of corporate harm, particularly within emerging economies, to guide the development of legislation that reflects and responds to the needs of affected workers and communities, and highlights legal risk to corporate actors of abusive business models.
Methods
BHRRC has designed four activities to strengthen corporate legal accountability.
1. Tracking Regulatory and Remedy Advancements
(1) Mapping and analysing key cases across the globe that are changing the discussion around emerging new themes in corporate legal accountability, such as: evolving due diligence laws and related civil liability measures where corporates fail to adhere (including the EU’s newly passed CSDDD), anti-SLAPP legislation and the human rights impacts of corporate tech giants.
(2) Sustaining our CLA Quarterly Update publications that highlighting key corporate human rights cases, risks to business for abuse, and including a timely blog on a key business and human rights issue in the
context of corporate legal accountability.
2. Sustaining and Expanding the Strategic Litigation Network
(1) Organising clinics to exchange and connect communities and civil society organisations to advocate for a just energy transition through the Latin America Regional Strategic Litigation Network on Business and Human Rights. Enabling the Network members to provide support and advice on litigation to grassroots organisations and affected communities. Bridging the gaps for the communities in remote area further requests of access to experts to support their cases.
(2) Expanding network activities beyond Latin America,focusing on Asia and/or Africa. This includes developing litigation guides for use across other regions and sharing expertise through crossjurisdictional exchanges.
3. Providing Legal Tools and Data to Allies
(1) Tracking and highlighting precedent setting cases in key jurisdictions or under-the-radar cases using innovative legal arguments to hold companies accountable through our Global Lawsuit Database (currently includes 280 cases). They will also publish a thematic analysis of trends from these cases, with recommendations.
(2) Sustaining their new Just Energy Transition Litigation Tracker Tool, launched in 2024 and recipient of strong media coverage and engagement by civil society, investors, companies, and other donors.
4. Facilitating Exchanges on the Legally Binding Instrument for Business and Human Rights
Continuing to act as a convenor of key academic, government, private sector, and civil society voices on the topic of the Legally Binding Instrument for Business and Human Rights (LBI) through our annual webinar series, blog series; and daily updates during treaty negotiations. BHRRC continue to ensure that voices of the Global South rightsholders inform the text of the treaty and here is a platform for constructive exchange between states, civil society, legal experts and the private sector on this instrument.
Expected Outcomes
1.Improved access to information on corporate accountability mechanisms for communities and workers, particularly in underserved and high-risk areas.
2. Enhanced legal resources, such as the Global Strategic Litigation Database and community support tools, to empower rights holders and facilitate strategic legal actions.
3. Increased the opportunities to influence corporate accountability standards, regulatory frameworks, and/or corporate decision-making, especially in emerging economies where the impact on communities is profound.