Policy Brief - From Transposition to Transformation: Designing and Enforcing Effective National HREDD Laws
On 8 May 2026, the NOVA Centre on Business, Human Rights and the Environment NOVA BHRE, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL), the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies (KU Leuven), the HIVA Research Institute for Work and Society (KU Leuven), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Westfälische Hochschule (WH), and Global Rights Compliance (GRC) hosted a workshop at NOVA School of Law in Lisbon, Portugal, to facilitate dialogue on the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The event brought together 10 policymakers and over 30 experts from more than 20 countries across five continents. Participants included representatives from European and international institutions, including the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the UN Global Compact, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, the OECD, and the Council of Europe, alongside experts from academia, civil society, business, business organisations, multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs), legal practice, and activists from the Global South.
A particular focus of the workshop was to foster constructive engagement between policymakers and experts in an informal setting. Operating under the Chatham House Rule, the event encouraged open discussion, peer learning, and the exchange of emerging practices across jurisdictions. The agenda was structured around three complementary themes: first, exchanges with policymakers on the state of national implementation processes and the principal challenges they face; second, discussions on the enforcement and implementation of human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD), including the role of supervisory authorities, practical guidance, and support measures; and third, interactive, participant-led discussions on key implementation issues identified by policymakers and other stakeholders.
Throughout the discussions, participants reflected on practical approaches to implementing the CSDDD, including the application of HREDD obligations, regulatory coherence, and capacity-building measures. The workshop highlighted good practices and emerging solutions while underscoring the importance of continued cooperation among policymakers, businesses, civil society, international organisations, and other stakeholders in strengthening robust and effective HREDD frameworks.
We have now published a policy brief summarising key discussions and takeaways from each of the panels of the workshop.
