Deadline: December 19, 2025
Applications are open for the United Nations Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator 2026. The Business & Human Rights Accelerator is a six-month programme activating companies participating in the UN Global Compact across industries and regions. The objective is to help businesses swiftly move from commitment to action on human rights and labour rights through establishing an ongoing human rights due diligence process.
In this program, you will learn:
- How to identify your responsibilities in respecting human rights and labour rights, expressed in the International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
- How to establish an ongoing human rights due diligence process in line with international standards
- How to prepare organizations for evolving human rights due diligence legislation that is aligned with international standards
- How to report and communicate on your human rights due diligence outcomes, including through the Communication on Progress, the annual public disclosure requirement for all UN Global Compact participants
- How to connect human rights and the human rights due diligence process with social sustainability initiatives
Benefits
- An understanding of where your company is on their human rights journey
- An assessment of actual and potential adverse human rights impacts and the ability to prioritize action
- The knowledge about steps to take to mitigate your human rights impacts, including grievance mechanisms and remedy
- Ways to effectively engage stakeholders on operational impacts on people
- An action plan to advance human rights in your company and beyond
- A network of peers, UN partners and experts to support your human rights journey and work collectively to tackle persistent barriers to human rights due diligence.
- A certificate demonstrating completion of programme
Eligibility
To take part in the Business & Human Rights Accelerator, companies are required to be participants of the UN Global Compact or willing to join. Your company should also be:
- Currently engaged with a Global Compact Country Network in your region or willing to join.
- Willing to identify its human rights risks and impacts and scope a core area of your value chain for further focus.
- Committed to developing an Action Plan to help address the human rights risks identified and prioritized.
- Able to appoint two working-level representatives to attend sessions and participate in Accelerator activities and an additional executive-level representative to follow programme developments, provide support and participate in high-level events.
- Commit to completing the programme and embedding the learnings across the company strategy and operations.
Application
The BHR Accelerator is run in collaboration with Global Compact Networks and is currently available in 47 countries. Once your registration request has been received, a representative from your Country Network will be in touch to confirm your company’s participation.
For more information, visit Business & Human Rights Accelerator.
