Webinar on Human Rights due Diligence and COVID-19: Introduction of the Rapid Self-Assessment for Business

Since December 2019, an outbreak of the disease COVID-19 has spread across the globe and in March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak had reached the level of a global pandemic. Companies of all sizes and operating contexts are now faced with a range of unprecedented and long-lasting challenges in the world. In response to these circumstances, UNDP has designed a simple and accessible tool, the Human Rights Due Diligence and COVID-19: Rapid Self-Assessment for Business (COVID-19 Rapid Self-Assessment) to help businesses consider and manage the human rights impacts of their operations. This non-exhaustive list of potential actions allows for rapid but continuous reflection on the human rights risks and impacts common to many industries. The Covid-19 Rapid Self-Assessment is offered to companies as a partial but informative view of human rights actions in the specific context of Covid-19. The listed actions are based on relevant provisions of UN Human Rights Treaties, the ILO Fundamental Conventions, and the UNGPs. It is organized to present key actions or considerations along three stages of the COVID-19 crisis period: Prepare, Respond and Recover.

As part of the ILO/UNDP Framework for Action , UNDP Turkey Country Office and ILO Office for Turkey assessed human rights impact of the COVID-19 in business context and in cooperation with Global Compact Network Turkey and Business for Goals Platform (B4G), the Covid-19 Rapid Self-Assessment has been studied and adjusted to Turkish context. The Turkish version has been tested with limited number of the business and based on the feedback of the business, it has been updated and finalized. The Covid-19 Self- Assessment tool will be shared with the business with the aim of helping businesses consider and manage the human rights impacts of their operations during COVID-19 outbreak.

Objectives:

UNDP, ILO, Global Compact Network Turkey and B4G together organize this webinar to raise awareness on UNGP and launch Covid-19 the Self-Assessment to the Business in Turkey. Business for Goals Platform is eager to continue its advocacy efforts to promote human rights and related practices as well as to increase awareness in the private sector to create a more respectful work environment.

In this regard, the webinar has three objectives:

  • Increase awareness on UNGPs and provide guidance for the businesses on how to implement UN Global Compact’s Principles on Human Rights and Labor in times of COVID-19.
  • Explore how businesses can build stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient response to COVID-19 with a focus on responsible business practices,
  • Provide guidance on how to turn Global Compact principles on human rights and working rights into action in times of COVID 19.

PROGRAMME

28 October 2020 @11.00-13.00
11.00- 11.10 : Opening Speeches
  • Mr. Claudio Tomasi, UNDP Turkey Resident Representative
  • Mr. Numan Özcan, Director of ILO Office for Turkey
11.10-12.00 : Leaders Panel: Private Sector and Human Rights amid Covid-19
Moderator:

  • Melda Çele,  Executive Director, Global Compact Network Turkey

Speakers:

  • Mr. Ozan Diren, Executive Board Member at the Business for Goals Platform and CEO of Dimes
  • Ms. Aysun Sayın, Global Compact Turkey Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion (WPP, Chief
    People, Culture and Sustainability Officer)
  • Ms. Ebru Şenel Erim, Global Compact Turkey Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion (Unilever
    Turkey, Sustainable Business & Communications Director& Board Member)

Questions & Answers

12.00-12.45 :  Why and How? : Human Rights Rapid-Self Assessment amid Covid-19 Outbreak
Moderators: 

  • Tuba Burcu Şenel, ILO Office for Turkey
  • Zeliha Aydın, UNDP

Speakers

  • Mr. Sean Lees, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, Business and Human Rights Specialist
  • Ms. Emily Sims, ILO Headquarters, Senior Specialist and Manager ILO Helpdesk for Business

Questions & Answers

12.45-13.00: Closing Remarks

Please click here to download the detailed concept note of webinar.

SPEAKERS

  • Claudio Tomasi
    Claudio Tomasi
    Resident Representative of UNDP in Turkey
  • Numan Özcan
    Numan Özcan
    Director of ILO Office for Turkey
  • Melda Çele
    Melda Çele
    TÜSİAD
  • Ozan Diren
    Ozan Diren
    Executive Board Member at the Business for Goals
  • Aysun Sayın
    Aysun Sayın
    Global Compact Turkey Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion
  • Ebru Şenel Erim
    Ebru Şenel Erim
    Global Compact Turkey Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion
  • Tuba Burcu Şenel
    Tuba Burcu Şenel
    ILO Office for Turkey
  • Zeliha Aydın
    Zeliha Aydın
    UNDP
  • Sean Lees
    Sean Lees
    UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, Business and Human Rights Specialist
  • Emily Sims
    Emily Sims
    ILO Headquarters, Senior Specialist and Manager ILO Helpdesk for Business
Claudio Tomasi
Resident Representative of UNDP in Turkey

Claudio Tomasi is currently Resident Representative of UNDP in Turkey, where he held the post of Country Director for the period August 2016 to November 2018.

Before his current assignment, he served as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Cuba (2012-2016), in Nicaragua (2008-12), and in the Dominican Republic (2003-2007). With UNDP, he also worked in Panama as Assistant Resident Representative (2002) and in India as Governance Programme Officer (2001).

Previous to his engagement with UNDP, Claudio Tomasi worked for the European Union and as a United Nation Volunteer (UNV) in India where he started his international career. Mr. Tomasi has collaborated with several NGOs, development research institutes, local based organisations and cooperatives.

Claudio Tomasi has 20 years of experience in development work in three continents in a variety of capacities, mainly in management, partnership building, policy advise, programme design, project implementation, advocacy and research.

Claudio Tomasi is a sociologist of Italian nationality. He graduated in Sociology and Social Planning at the University of Sociology in Trento (Italy) and holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London (UK). He was also a visiting graduate student at the Department of Political Sciences at CUNY, City University of New York (USA).

Numan Özcan
Director of ILO Office for Turkey

Mr. Özcan became Director of the ILO Office for Turkey in January 2015.

Mr. Özcan started his career at the Hak-İş Trade Union Confederation in 1998. He then worked in the private sector on international business risk consultancy, and in the public sector, contracting and managing EU-funded social and employment projects.

During his employment at the EU Delegation to Turkey (2005-2015), Mr. Özcan followed up EU-Turkey accession negotiations in social policy and employment areas.

Mr. Özcan studied Political Science and International Relations at Boğaziçi University (Istanbul), and obtained masters degrees in International Business and Management from the University of Westminster (London) and in International Relations from Gazi University (Ankara).

Melda Çele
TÜSİAD

Melda Çele is the Deputy Secretary General of TÜSİAD responsible for sustainable development, investment environment, entrepreneurship and youth. At the same time she is the Secretary General of Global Compact Türkiye, the Local Network of UN Global Compact  –  a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN Goals.

Melda Çele is a graduate of Robert College. She continued her education in sociology at Koç University. He holds a Master’s degree in European Integration from the University of Essex.

Ozan Diren
Executive Board Member at the Business for Goals

Ozan Diren leads Turkey’s first local-capital fruit juice and a one of Turkey’s leading beverage brands, DİMES.

Diren started working for DİMES in university years, taking responsibilities at every level and in every corporate department. Meanwhile he pursued his academic training, graduating from İTÜ as an Industrial Engineer, prior to receiving a post graduate Marketing diploma from the University of Hartford. Later, he completed Finance advanced specialization program at İstanbul University’s Institute of Corporate Economics.

Parallel to the corporate vision and the development competitive environment, Ozan Diren spearheaded the formation of Nobel Pazarlama Ltd. within the DİMES group, and he has become the company’s first General Manager. In 2011, Diren is appointed as DİMES CEO

Apart from TÜRKONFED, Ozan Diren is a Board Member in MEYED and he is involved at ŞÜD, TGDF, TÜSİAD, ASÜD and SETBİR.

Ozan Diren is married and he has three children.

Aysun Sayın
Global Compact Turkey Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion
Ebru Şenel Erim
Global Compact Turkey Working Group on Diversity and Inclusion
Tuba Burcu Şenel
ILO Office for Turkey

Tuba Burcu Şenel studied Labour Economics and Industrial Relations and completed MBA. She started her professional life at Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TISK). She has been working in the area of business and human rights since 2003. She took an active role in the establishment of Global Compact Turkey network and she acted as Steering Committee Member as well as carried out the secretariat of the Network on behalf of TISK. She represented Turkey in the negotiation and development process of ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Guidance. She was a member of various working groups and platforms on business and human rights under International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Businesseurope and Business and Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC). She developed and implemented the “Corporate Social Responsibility for All” Project, which was financed by the European Union and implemented in 9 different countries in the Southeast Europe and Turkey with an aim to improve the capacity of the civil society on CSR. She is in charge of two different projects at the ILO Office for Turkey and is responsible for improving gender equality at private sector

Zeliha Aydın
UNDP
Sean Lees
UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, Business and Human Rights Specialist
Emily Sims
ILO Headquarters, Senior Specialist and Manager ILO Helpdesk for Business

Emily Sims is a Senior Specialist in the ILO Programme on Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy and manager of the ILO Helpdesk for Business.  She has also been involved in drafting of the labour component of various key CSR instruments, including ISO 26000 and the update of the OECD Guidelines, and has provided technical assistance to a range of industry and multi-stakeholder initiatives.  She is the author of numerous articles and co-author of two books:  Corporate Success through People and Labour-Management Cooperation in SMEs:  Forms and Factors.  Emily is trained at the graduate level in both law and economics (Juris Doctor, Yale Law School; MSc in economics, London School of Economics).

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