International law scholar and Vice Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Professor Damilola Sunday Olawuyi (SAN), has called for renewed global commitment to human rights as a strategic pathway to resolving mounting insecurity, conflicts, and intersecting global crises.
Speaking during a plenary address at the 14th Annual United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, Olawuyi emphasised that meaningful attention to human rights remains crucial to sustainable development and conflict prevention.
The forum, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, is the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights, convening governments, business leaders, civil society, affected communities, and international organisations to advance the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
The 2025 edition captioned ‘Accelerating Action on Business and Human Rights Amidst Crises and Transformations,’ drew nearly 5,000 participants and prominent speakers, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk; Vice-President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Salma Rasheed; Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact, Melissa Powell; Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Chad’s Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Dr Youssouf Tom; and Virgin Group Founder, Sir Richard Branson.
Representatives from the African Union, UNDP, UNICEF, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights also participated.
Speaking on the rising wave of conflicts driven by exclusion and inadequate stakeholder engagement, Olawuyi pointed out the urgent need for governments, investors, and businesses to prioritise human rights considerations in every phase of economic and development planning.
He warned that development projects and investment decisions that sideline vulnerable communities often trigger unrest, agitation, and long-term instability.
“In these precarious times of interlocking crises and transformations that shake the very foundations of human rights as we have known it, renewed solidarity and unity of purpose are urgently required.
“Economic development that neglects human rights will only result in further crises. We must work together to shape a more just, accountable, and human rights-oriented global economy that leaves no one behind,” he said.
Olawuyi emphasised that adopting a rights-based development model would strengthen conflict-resolution mechanisms, promote transparency, and reduce the security risks associated with community grievances.
He argued that when communities feel heard, respected, and included, the likelihood of violence or disruption significantly diminishes.
The SAN equally stressed the need for investments in human rights awareness and public education. According to him, states and businesses must allocate more financial and technical support to national human rights institutions, universities, civil society groups, the media, Indigenous communities, and human rights defenders to help the public understand how to seek redress and express concerns peacefully.
Olawuyi further called for mandatory human rights training for security officers, particularly those deployed in conflict-affected regions, noting that improved knowledge of international standards could drastically reduce abuses and foster trust with local populations.
He championed enhanced human rights education as a tool for unlocking youth innovation and entrepreneurship, which he described as essential for building a more resilient global economy.
The Senior Advocate urged a whole-of-government approach to the implementation of the UNGPs, insisting that real progress will only occur when political actors, private sector leaders, and civil society groups move beyond rhetoric and commit to measurable action.
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