Pichamon Yeophantong, PhD

Happening in person at COP28 and online tomorrow! Join us!

International Rivers International Rivers protects rivers and defends the rights of communities that depend on them.

Honored to have presented 7 reports of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday:

- Two thematic reports on the importance of to the implementation of the and on institutions and ;

- Three reports on our Country Visits to , , and ;

- Two on our LAC Regional Forum and Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights last year.

…And there’s more work to come on both the capacity-building and development finance themes—so watch this space! (Plus, did you know, the WGBHR is headed to for a Country Visit next month?!)

Massive thanks to fellow WGBHR members for their tireless work, our Secretariat team for providing top-notch support, as well as to OHCHR colleagues and all stakeholders—States, businesses, DFIs, and of course, civil society—who’d provided invaluable inputs during our consultations for these reports 🙏

Couldn’t have done it without y’all!

Watch the full Interactive Dialogue here ⬇️

ID: WG on Transnational Corporations - 13th Meeting, 53rd Regular Session of Human Rights Council Business and human rights - Report of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises

"The use of SLAPPs is an act of cowardice," Pichamon Yeophantong, Chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights said today at a session: "Addressing SLAPP against Human Rights Defenders in South-East Asia: Challenges and lessons learned" at the UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum 2023.

"This abuse of power to silence others is having profoundly negative impacts on the integrity of judicial systems and the protection of human rights," she stressed.

The use of judicial harassment, especially , by businesses must stop. How many more human rights defenders must suffer?

The Working Group issued a press release about stopping SLAPPs in accordance with the earlier this week. The PR was also published in support of defenders who continue to face harassment from SLAPPs: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/12/un-experts-concerned-systematic-use-slapp-cases-against-human-rights

Also appreciated the opportunity to provide a briefing to the สำนักงานคณะกรรมการสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งชาติ (National Human Rights Commisssion of Thailand) on this and other issues. Here’s hoping we can do more to support defenders together.

UN experts concerned by systematic use of SLAPP cases against human rights defenders by businesses GENEVA (16 December 2022) – The Working Group on Business and Human Rights today urged the Thai Government to take action to stop businesses from using the legal system to silence academics, human rights defenders, journalists and other civil society actors. SLAPPs, or Strategic Lawsuits Against P...

The 2022 UN Forum on and may be over, but our work to advance the agenda and the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles is far from over.

What a pleasure it’s been meeting and listening to allies, champions and supporters of the from all over the world.

Let’s continue driving this dialogue for positive change together!

It was a real privilege to attend the Forum and hear from those who are on the front line of defending human rights and the rights of nature. Thank you to UN Human Rights - Asia and UN Environment Programme Asia-Pacific for the opportunity!

"In working to safeguard human rights, we’re on the same side," said Pichamon Yeophantong, a member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights told Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) at the Asia-Pacific Environmental Human Rights Defenders 2022.

"Even though we might not face the same risks to our lives and livelihoods, but the struggles we encounter in fighting for human rights are fundamentally the same. We recognise the invaluable and tireless work by EHRDs—past, present and emerging—and stand in solidarity.”