The PRI at the 14th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights

What is the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights?

The UNBHR is one of the flagship UN-convened events on human rights and is centred on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). PRI’s work on human rights and social issues is rooted in the UNGPs, which were formally and unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011. Our paper, Why and how investors should act on human rights, articulates the responsibilities of institutional investors to respect the human rights of all, as defined by the UNGPs.  

This year’s theme is ‘Accelerating Action on Business and Human Rights Amidst Crises and Transformations’. As the financial world navigates rapidly changing regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, and social forces, this year’s UNBHR will offer the PRI with a valuable platform to engage signatories and key stakeholders to help ensure human rights remains a key focus for businesses and investors. 

What were the PRI’s objectives at the 13th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights?

The PRI continues to work for an economically efficient, sustainable global financial system, which is a necessity for long-term value creation. Central to this mission is addressing human rights and social issues, which carry clear financial risks and opportunities for investors. 

Companies can reduce operational and legal costs by avoiding community conflicts and appropriately managing private data, and they can improve their performance by promoting a strong corporate culture and satisfaction in the workplace and communities in which they operate. For bondholders, labour markets, rule of law, and demographics can be relevant dimensions in an assessment of sovereign creditworthiness.  

Investors are also affected by systemic risks. For example, decades of widening economic inequality have led to more volatile economic and political conditions, which in turn may negatively affect portfolio performance over time. For the low-carbon transition, policy success and economic stability depend on the ability to manage social aspects and achieve buy-in from diverse groups and sectors. This involves the mitigation of negative socio-economic impacts on the workforce, communities and consumers 

“The PRI is committed to supporting investors in managing impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities related to people.” 

 – David Atkin, PRI CEO

The UNGPs support investors’ decision-making on social issues, enhance risk management processes and help align activities with the evolving demands of beneficiaries, clients, and regulators. Despite global headwinds, human rights and social issues are becoming increasingly important to investors. In 2025, more than 1,200 signatories reported adoption of the UNGPs and/or the OECD Guidelines* – a six percentage point increase from 2024, and 19 percent point increase from 2021.  

However, increased adoption of these frameworks must be complemented by more comprehensive implementation. To enable this, the PRI will be publishing guidance to support investors in effectively engaging affected stakeholders and enabling access to remedy. 

To build on this momentum, the PRI aim to achieve three key objectives at the UNBHR:  

1. Engage investors to promote the continued adoption and implementation of the UNGPs and OECD Guidelines in responsible investment. 
2. Convene signatories, companies, and stakeholders to reaffirm the materiality of human rights and align private sector activities with real-world outcomes for people.
3. Facilitate policy discussions towards strengthening the enabling environment for effective and practicable integration of human rights into responsible investment. 

The PRI’s delegation consists of our CEO, David Atkin, alongside members from our Human Rights, Social and Governance, Advance, and Global Policy teams.   

An overview of upcoming PRI events and networking opportunities will be featured here once details are available 

*Based on preliminary reporting data, which may be incomplete or subject to revision.