ACE Advocacy Officer Hideki Wakabayashi to Speak at the UNGPs at 15 Anniversary Event during the 15th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights

Hideki Wakabayashi, Advocacy Officer at ACE, will speak at the UNGPs at 15 Anniversary Event, a special session marking the 15th anniversary of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), at the 15th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, in November 2026. 

The United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights is the world's largest annual gathering dedicated to business and human rights, bringing together representatives from governments, businesses, civil society organizations, trade unions, international organizations, and academia. The theme of the 2026 Forum is "UNGPs at 15: Building on Gains, Confronting Gaps, Reimagining the Future," marking fifteen years since the UN Human Rights Council endorsed the UNGPs. 

Representing global civil society, Hideki Wakabayashi will join fellow speakers in reflecting on the achievements and remaining challenges of the past fifteen years since the adoption of the UNGPs, as well as discussing the future direction of the business and human rights agenda. Throughout his career, he has worked across multiple sectors, including business, labor unions, government and diplomacy, and civil society organizations. He currently serves as Advocacy Officer at ACE, where he engages in policy advocacy on business and human rights. His unique cross-sector experience and longstanding commitment to fostering dialogue and collaboration among governments, businesses, and civil society to advance respect for human rights led to his invitation to this commemorative anniversary session.

Over the years, ACE has worked to eliminate child labor while promoting corporate respect for human rights and responsible supply chains through policy advocacy and multi-stakeholder engagement in Japan and internationally. Through participation in this session, ACE will bring the perspectives of civil society to global discussions, highlighting children's rights and child labor issues while contributing to further progress in the field of business and human rights.

We warmly encourage those attending the Forum in Geneva to join the session.

About session

• Session Title: UNGPs at 15 Anniversary Event

• Forum: 15th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights

• Dates: 23-25 November 2026

• Venue: Palais des Nations (United Nations Office at Geneva), Geneva, Switzerland

• Forum Information: 15th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights 

• Session Page: UNGPs at 15 Anniversary Event

ACE will continue to advance dialogue and policy advocacy in Japan and internationally to achieve a world free from child labor and to strengthen respect for human rights in business activities.