In September 2021, the Government of Pakistan—with the Federal Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) as the leading entity—approved and launched a National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights (BHR), a policy document describing how Pakistan intends to promote responsible business practice across the country.

Over the course of the first year of implementation, MoHR, in collaboration with UNDP Pakistan, has sought to raise awareness amongst key stakeholders of their responsibilities as laid out in the NAP. This has included the establishment of a Federal Steering Committee to promote inter-ministerial and inter-provincial coordination on the NAP, as well as a round of multi-stakeholder consultations in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Sialkot, and Faisalabad to obtain recommendations for streamlining its implementation in Pakistan’s devolved context.

Building on the above dialogue, a seminar is being held in Islamabad to identify key priorities, drivers, and recommendations for taking forward implementation of Pakistan’s NAP on BHR in 2023. The seminar will be led by the Ministry of Human Rights with technical support from UNDP and RSIL.