Expert Seminar: Human Rights Risks, Challenges and the Corporate Responsibility to Respect in the Construction Sector

The research group Law and Development (Faculty of Law), the research group for Urban Development (Faculty of Design Sciences) and the research group Politics & Public Governance (Faculty of Social Sciences) have been tasked with a pilot study for the BAM (a Flemish governmental company entrusted with completely and drastically redesigning the ring ring road around the city and port of Antwerp).

The study sets out to chart the potential human rights and sustainable development risks of this major infrastructural project and aims to set out the capacity the BAM needs to build up to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for its (adverse) human rights impacts .

There are many potential human rights risks associated with a project of this magnitude but the pilot study focuses on two particular issues or ‘risks’:

The working and living conditions of the workforce (circa 2000 workers) that will be employed by the building sub-contracters
The human rights impact on the neighbourhoods in Antwerp that will be specifically affected during the construction phase

In the framework of this study the research team will organise a international seminar at the University of Antwerp that will bring company responsibles, public authorities, academics and practitioners to provide input. The main aim of the seminar is to discuss a human rights/ CSR approach to major infrastructure works and especially the lessons learned from comparable projects at home and abroad.

Registration is free but required before the 3rd of February 2019.

Programme

The seminar will take place on the 5th of February 2019 (12h - 18h) in room C001 (city campus). You can find the full programme here.

A map of the city campus can be found here.

More background information: