8 OCTOBER  |  15:55-17:15  |  Amalila Hall  

Leveraging National Action Plans and Voluntary Disclosure to Foster a Responsible Tech Ecosystem  

Session partner:

• B-Tech Africa Project, B-Tech Project of the UN Human Rights Office

• Thomson Reuters Foundation

Background 

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As digital technologies—particularly artificial intelligence (AI)—become integral to business operations, the need for robust governance frameworks that uphold human rights is increasingly urgent. National Action Plans (NAPs) on Business and Human Rights are key policy instruments for implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). NAPs offer a strategic opportunity for governments—through inclusive, multi-stakeholder consultations—to develop coherent frameworks that align technological innovation with human rights standards and responsible business conduct and can serve as a catalyst for a responsible tech ecosystem. By embedding digital technology considerations into NAPs, States can proactively address issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, surveillance, and digital exclusion and contribute to access to remedy, ensuring that victims of tech-related human rights abuses have access to effective judicial and non-judicial redress mechanisms.

With the growing influence of AI, however, there remains limited transparency, and the necessary evidence base from quantitative and qualitative data on how companies are using these technologies and the resulting impacts on people, society, and the environment. Despite well-documented risks—such as algorithmic bias, lack of transparency, and data privacy concerns—many States have yet to adopt regulations that clarify corporate responsibilities regarding human rights in the digital economy.

NAPs need to account for providing measures to enhance transparency, among others through requiring disclosure from companies. The OHCHR B-Tech project has published guidance on the corporate responsibility to respect with regard to the end-use of digital technologies. A recent initiative by Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) and UNESCO AI Company Disclosure Initiative (AICDI), launched in 2024, can complement the guidance by B-Tech by assisting   companies in understanding and addressing risks arising from their use of AI technologies through voluntary disclosure.

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This session will explore how NAPs can integrate digital governance and how voluntary initiatives like AICDI can complement State’s own efforts by encouraging companies to uphold their responsibility to respect human rights through ensuring transparency and internal accountability mechanisms.

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Key Objectives

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• Promote the integration of digital governance and AI-related risks into National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights.

• Showcase recent examples of NAPs that include digital technologies, emphasizing the importance of human rights in digital transformation.

• Examine human rights risks associated with corporate adoption of AI technologies.

• Explore voluntary measures to enhance corporate transparency and responsible AI adoption.

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Format

A panel discussion followed by an interactive segment or breakout groups. The session will feature case studies, including the AICDI, and encourage dialogue on how voluntary disclosure tools can be integrated into national policy frameworks and corporate practices.