2 June 2025. In April and May 2025, we hosted two training sessions on business and human rights in supply chains in Hsinchu, Taiwan. These sessions took place amid a turbulent period following the US administration’s 32% tariff implementation and Taiwan’s largest single-day stock market fall.
Despite these economic pressures, we remained committed to advancing business and human rights in supply chains and to our training dates. It was the only thing we could control during a time of not knowing how policies would play out globally and locally. These challenges also highlighted a crucial point: sustainability and business and human rights issues reflect longstanding challenges around how businesses can contribute to protecting the environment and workers. Responsible business conduct is not a temporary concern from global brands and consumers.
The training was organised in partnership with an University Social Responsibility project at National Tsing Hua University focused on migrant integration and sustainable development in Hukou and supported by Kenzi Chen and Professor Shu-Fen Lin.
More than ten companies joined us for over six hours and engaged deeply with these topics throughout the sessions. The training covered everything from the origins of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and national business and human rights action plans in Taiwan, to experiences of human rights due diligence in other countries.
The impact was tangible. As one participant shared:
I found it difficult to navigate the three pillars of UNGPs when our company rolled out the due diligence process for the first time last year with our partner in another country. After the training today, I finally came to a fuller understanding and to realise the purposes and connection of each implemented measure.
We thank our colleagues at CRT Japan for helpful discussions on what Taiwan could learn from Japan’s human rights in supply chain guidelines, Dr Adina Zemanek graduating from Alliance Manchester Business School for preparing case studies for the sessions and our funder.
