In February and March, more than 40 representatives of 33 leading Japanese companies joined the B+HR Academy in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. Through the B+HR Academy, participants learned how to apply human rights due diligence (HRDD) in practice, including by using case studies from other companies and expert input from business and human rights specialists. The training aims to help companies assess, prevent and mitigate the adverse impacts of their operations. 

Growing interest in the Academy – and the expanding network of business representatives who have completed the training – reflect the deepening importance placed on responsible supply chains by the Government of Japan and the Japanese business community.

The companies participating in the 2nd round of the B+HR Academy in Japan join a growing global cohort of more than 800 business representatives – from Mexico to Ghana to Indonesia – who have participated in the B+HR Academy in the last year, including the first round conducted in Japan in October and November 2022. 

The B+HR Academy is conducted by UNDP with support from the Government of Japan under a global partnership on business and human rights. The project – which focuses on working with companies to promote HRDD throughout their supply chains and, more broadly, advancing responsible business policies in target countries – has just entered its second phase and will continue to promote responsible business conduct in global supply chains through work in 14 countries in five regions: Mongolia, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Viet Nam (Asia); Tunisia (Arab States): Ghana (Africa): Türkiye, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic (Eastern Europe and Central Asia); and Mexico and Peru (Latin America and the Caribbean).

A third round of the B+HR Academy in Japan is planned for summer 2023.