On the evening of 23 October 2025, CIDS hosted a closed-door expert dialogue at Villa Moynier (Cassese Room) titled "The Treaty on Business and Human Rights: Recent Legal Developments and Implications for International Investment Law." The event brought together leading voices from academia, diplomacy, and legal practice to critically examine the evolving treaty process and its intersections with international investment law, corporate accountability, and climate governance.
A timely conversation during the Eleventh OEIGWG Session
The discussion took place during the Eleventh Session of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group (OEIGWG) on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect to Human Rights, scheduled for 20-24 October at the Palais des Nations. The OEIGWG, established by Human Rights Council Resolution 26/9 in 2014, continues to work toward a legally binding international instrument on business and human rights - a process that has gained renewed momentum amid global regulatory shifts and jurisprudential developments.
Participants explored the treaty's potential to harmonize corporate accountability standards across jurisdictions, especially in light of recent European due diligence legislation and growing calls for coherence between business, human rights, and environmental obligations. The conversation also addressed the political headwinds facing sustainability regulation, including recent challenges to the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Key themes
The dialogue centered on several critical themes:
- The current status and key debates in the BHR Treaty negotiations
- Jurisprudential developments linking climate change, human rights, and corporate responsibility
- The role of international law in shaping sustainable investment frameworks
Distinguished speakers
The CIDS was honored to welcome:
- Professor Humberto Cantú Rivera, Professor of International Law at Universidad de Monterrey, Legal Expert of the OEIGWG, and Co-Chair of the ILA Committee on Business and Human Rights
- Mr. Nicolas Lockhart, Partner at Sidley Austin LLP (Geneva)
The discussion was facilitated by Agustin Giustiniani, Researcher at CIDS.
Advancing Legal Dialogue
As global debates around sustainability, investment, and human rights intensify, CIDS remains committed to fostering rigorous legal dialogue and advancing scholarship at the intersection of international law and sustainable development. This expert exchange reflects our ongoing efforts to convene thought leaders and practitioners in shaping the future of responsible investment and corporate accountability.