The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) celebrate their 15^th anniversary this year. The UN Human Rights Council endorsed the UNGPs unanimously, marking the first time that, at an international forum, the duties of States, the responsibilities of companies, and access to remedies were agreed upon. Since then, many States have published a national action plan on how they implement the UNGPs, and many companies have embedded human rights due diligence into their processes. Despite this enormous progress, challenges remain and new ones have emerged.

To better understand the UNGPs and the ecosystem surrounding them, it is important to understand both the roles of States and companies, as well as the realities behind those roles. UN Global Compact Network Finland is hosting a webinar on 30 January, where we will take a deep dive into the international human rights framework, the UNGPs, and their relevance for companies.

Programme for the webinar

Sophia Lawson Hellu, Programme Manager, Human Rights, UN Global Compact Finland: UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights turn 15 this year

• Where did the UNGPs come from? What is their core content? Why do they matter?

Annamari Tornikoski, Senior Adviser, Human Rights and Katja Fokin, Legal Officer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland: Getting to know the international human rights system

• What are human rights? Where do they come from? Are human rights a matter of opinion? How does the international human rights system work? What is the role of States within this system?

Anna Vainikainen, Global Head of Human Rights, Outokumpu: Human rights and corporate realities

• What is the UN Global Compact Think Lab on Human Rights in Supply Chains? What are the key human rights themes related to supply chains? How can businesses best identify, mitigate, and prevent human rights risks in their supply chains? What are the key takeaways from the Think Lab’s work?

Hosts: Linda Piirto and Sophia Lawson Hellu

 Summary

• When: Friday, 30 January 2026, 9.00–10.00 EET
• Where: Online (Zoom)
• Language: English
• For whom: This webinar is open to all
• Recording: The session will be recorded and shared with registered participants.

Please register for the webinar by 28 January 2026.