In 2016 the IBA issued guidance for business lawyers on the Guiding Principles, in an effort spearheaded by this Working Group – jump to the guidance.
The International Bar Association (IBA) has created a new Business and Human Rights Working Group, under the sponsorship of the IBA CSR Committee, which is composed of representatives of the bar associations of seven countries. Its goal is to help bars and law societies raise awareness of the importance of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for lawyers.
The Working Group is chaired by Shift’s General Counsel and Senior Advisor, John Sherman, a former co-chair of the IBA CSR Committee. John has been deeply involved in this subject for many years, starting with his former roles as co-chair of the IBA CSR Committee and chair of the IBA Working Group on revisions to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, continuing through his participation as a member of Prof. John Ruggie’s core UN mandate team, and currently in his role at Shift where he focuses on outreach to bar associations, law firms, and in-house legal counsel to integrate the Guiding Principles into the practice of law.