The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights on Thursday urged governments to improve their records on business and human rights.

The statement comes ahead of the Forum on Business and Human Rights to take place from November 25-27 in Geneva. The rights experts stated that “governments have a duty, not an option, to protect people against business-related harms. They are simply not doing enough at the moment. Despite positive steps by some States, we have to call into question the effectiveness of current efforts overall and the lack of concrete action.”

The forum attracts individuals from states, UN bodies and agencies, and others from around the globe including company and business associations, as well as representatives from communities affected by the actions of businesses. The forum will address state obligations, responsibilities of businesses and remedies for those who have been affected by the business abuse.

UN human rights experts stated:

The three pillars set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights the State duty to protect, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and the need for access to effective remedy when harm occurs—are essential parts of building a sustainable global economy in which all people are treated with dignity and which leaves no one behind. These pillars are the foundation for all our efforts to end business-related human rights abuses. Government action needs to address the full range of measures, from prevention to remediation.