USCIB Leads High-Level Political Dialogue on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) and Human Rights at Annual Conference

Ewa Staworzynska, Roberto Suarez-Santos (IOE), Luc Triangle (ITUC), and Sylvain Lobry (Danone).

Companies, government representatives, and stakeholders convened in Brussels on April 22 for the annual Conference on Business and Human Rights, under the theme “Navigating Change: Advancing Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) Through Practical Implementation”. The conference is co-hosted by the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), BDA—Germany’s leading business and industry group, and DHL Group.

Ewa Staworzynska, Director, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs at USCIB, and Chair of the IOE Policy Working Group on Business and Human Rights (BHR) and RBC, moderated the high-level political panel, How Can Companies Navigate Different Directions in the International RBC Landscape? The panel highlighted themes including key tensions companies are facing today, the greatest risks and opportunities for alignment between regulatory and voluntary frameworks, as well as the balance between compliance and genuine progress.

Panelists included Roberto Suarez-Santos, Secretary General at IOE, Luc Triangle, General Secretary at International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and Sylvain Lobry, Vice President, Social Dialogue and Social Fundamentals at Danone.

The conference aimed to explore how companies can effectively navigate an increasingly fragmented and challenging international RBC landscape, marked by diverging regulatory approaches, heightened compliance challenges, and increased political pressures.