The Western Europe Regional BHR Forum
Join Swedwatch and partners for important discussions
This September, Swedwatch and partners will bring three timely discussions to the Business and Human Rights Forum in Strasbourg – from critical minerals and responsible supply chains to corporate accountability and the funding crisis facing civil society. Find out more about our sessions below.
Critical minerals are at the heart of Europe’s energy transition. But what does this mean for the people and ecosystems where they are extracted?
Indonesia produces around half of the world’s nickel and around one fifth of its tin – essential minerals for batteries, renewable energy technologies and electronics. But behind these global value chains are communities and ecosystems facing pollution, land rights violations, growing inequalities, and limited access to remedy.
At the BHR Forum in Strasbourg, we’ll bring these realities into the European debate. Join us for a discussion on corporate accountability, meaningful community participation, access to remedy, and the role of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The session is organised by Swedwatch, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Source International and by WALHI Bangka Belitung, bringing perspectives and experience from work directly with impacted communities.
📅 17 September 2026
⏰ 10:00–11:20
📍 Council of Europe, Strasbourg, Room 3
🪑 No registration needed, first come, first served. Places are limited by the size of the room.
For questions contact: sofia@swedwatch.org
Responsible minerals sourcing in Ukraine: human rights, security, and impacts on European supply chains
Join us for a 90-minute panel discussion and moderated Q&A on responsible minerals sourcing in Ukraine. The session will explore salient risks in Ukraine’s critical raw materials sector in the context of conflict and reconstruction, including the illegal exploitation of minerals in occupied territories, resource security risks, and the responsibilities of actors linked to conflict-affected supply chains.
The session will discuss Ukraine’s emerging role in European critical raw materials supply chains, and how Europe’s pursuit of secure, resilient and sustainable mineral supply chains can be aligned with responsible business conduct, Ukraine’s reconstruction and EU integration priorities.
Jointly organised by Global Rights Compliance, Swedwatch and UNDP.
📅 17 September 2026
⏰ 11:30–13:00
📍 Council of Europe, Strasbourg, Room 8
🪑 No registration needed, first come, first served. Places are limited by the size of the room.
For questions contact: jessica@swedwatch.org
What happens when the organisations working to hold business accountable no longer have the resources to do their work?
At this breakfast session, Swedwatch and ECCJ will present the first findings from a new global survey on funding for business and human rights work. The picture is stark: organisations working on business and human rights have lost an average of 40% of their funding since 2024, and one in eight organisations report that they may have to shut down if nothing changes.
This funding crisis has consequences far beyond individual organisations. It risks weakening the civil society voices that are essential to corporate accountability, effective due diligence and the implementation of frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Following a short presentation of the data, we will open the floor for an informal and interactive discussion.
📅 18 September 2026
⏰ 8:30–10:00 including ☕ breakfast
📍 Council of Europe, Strasbourg, Room 8
🪑 No registration needed, first come, first served. Places are limited by the size of the room.
For questions contact: benjamin@swedwatch.org