In 2022, the European Union-funded B+HR Asia project made steady but uneven gains in the face of supply chain vulnerabilities, inflationary pressures, and geo-political uncertainty. Progress on national action plans, a key signal of national commitment, struggled to get past the final-draft stages in key economies, namely, India and Indonesia.

Still, interest in the BHR agenda grew dramatically among all stakeholders across all programming countries. Engagement levels were robust on policy task forces, in trainings on human rights due diligence, and during consultations on national baseline assessments. As described in the report, these efforts led to tangible outcomes. Indeed, a mid-term evaluation published in August this year, found that the project “consistently delivered at a high level,” and “has already achieved considerable impact in furthering the BHR Agenda in the region and raising awareness of the UNGPs.”

This progress report covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2022. The report also includes sections and annexes pointing to the direction of work in 2023.