The GNCHR at the 1st Western Europe BHR Forum in Strasbourg

The President of the Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR), Professor Maria Gavouneli, took part in the first Western Europe Business and Human Rights Forum, held on 17 and 18 September 2026 at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

The GNCHR President spoke on the panel “Integrating Climate Action and Human Rights: What is the Role for Business in a Changing World?”. The discussion focused on how businesses can bring climate action and respect for human rights together into coherent, people-centred strategies, and on the role that governments, the financial sector, civil society and National Human Rights Institutions play in this effort.

The Forum, under the theme “Navigating the Challenges of our Time: Driving Action on Business and Human Rights”, was organised by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, the European Coalition for Corporate Justice, the UN Global Compact, the NOVA Centre for Business, Human Rights and the Environment and the Council of Europe, in collaboration with the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

The event brought together more than 340 participants from civil society, business, policymaking, National Human Rights Institutions, academia and international organisations. Discussions centred on climate change, armed conflict, artificial intelligence and the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

On the margins of the Forum, on 18 September, the GNCHR President also took part in the expert workshop “Strengthening external engagement on business and human rights”, co-organised by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. In the context of the implementation of the EU Framework on Business and Human Rights, representatives of EU Member States, National Human Rights Institutions, EU institutions and international organisations exchanged experiences on how the EU and its Member States can strengthen coherence and support to partner countries in this field.

See the full Forum programme: https://events.unglobalcompact.org/regionalbhrforum/