Human Rights Working Group | Collaborations | Sustainable Business Network and Advisory Services

Supporting companies around the world to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

Mission

Develop a safe space for companies across all sectors to openly share best practices, challenges, questions, and experiences implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Video produced by The Maersk Group, a member of the Human Rights Working Group, during a 2022 convening.

Outcomes and Impacts

Continuously assisting our 60+ global member companies with the integration of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights so that they can effectively manage, mitigate, and remedy their human rights impacts and maximize their human rights opportunities.

How Human Rights Working Group Can Help

Adding Value to Your Business and Society

Knowledge Exchange

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黑料正能量 Insights

Blog

Partnering with Suppliers to Advance Human Rights Due Diligence

Evolving regulatory frameworks and rising stakeholder expectations are prompting companies to move beyond one-size-fits-all compliance and collaborate with suppliers to strengthen human rights across the value chain. Discover practical tools for fostering a partnership-based approach to human rights due diligence and examples of effective supplier engagement models.

Blog

What’s Next? Building on a Corporate-Level Human Rights Assessment

Blog

Mining and the Just Transition: Putting People at the Center of the Energy Transition

Blog

Developing Integrated Approaches to Human Rights, Climate, and Nature

Blog

Effective Remedy in Jeopardy? Lessons from the UNGPs, CSDDD, and EU Omnibus Proposal

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Our Experts

Depth of Experience and Knowledge

Our team consists of global experts across multiple focus areas and industries, bringing a depth of experience in developing sustainable business strategies and solutions.

Kayla Winarsky McKenzie

Associate Director, Human Rights

New York

Associate Director, Human Rights, 黑料正能量

New York

Kayla collaborates with 黑料正能量 member companies on projects centering on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, focusing on companies within the consumer sectors industry cluster. Her areas of expertise include energy transition, anti-corruption, and gender.

Prior to joining 黑料正能量, Kayla spent several years advising multinational companies and investors on human rights as an Adviser at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, during which she also served as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on Business and Human Rights (BHR), international human rights, anti-corruption, and EU law. Previously, she worked on global anti-corruption investigations and cross-border white collar litigations as an Associate Attorney at the international law firm King & Spalding LLP, where she was the founding member of the firm's BHR initiative.

Kayla holds a JD and a Certificate in Global Human Rights from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, which included course work at the Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement, and a BA, Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude from Tulane University.

Recent Insights From Kayla Winarsky McKenzie

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Maria Robold

Manager, Human Rights

Paris

Manager, Human Rights, 黑料正能量

Paris

Maria supports 黑料正能量 member companies across various industries in respecting human rights across their organizations and value chains.

Prior to joining 黑料正能量, Maria worked for the NGO Pact, where she acted as a key point of contact between donor and field teams for the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative, the largest traceability and due diligence program for tin, tungsten, and tantalum (3T minerals) in the African Great Lakes Region. She also advised mining companies on incident resolution and risk mitigation in mineral supply chains, with a focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s South Kivu province. Before that, Maria worked in Myanmar for Human Rights Now, where she researched human rights violations in the supply chains of Japanese companies.

Maria holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied English and Japanese studies from the University of Paris and a joint Master’s Degree in Global Studies from the Universities of Vienna and Leipzig. She speaks French, German, English, and Japanese.

Recent Insights From Maria Robold

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Margot Thompson-Wells

Associate, Human Rights

New York

Associate, Human Rights, 黑料正能量

New York

Margot supports 黑料正能量 member companies across industries in advancing human rights and sustainability management throughout their value chains. She also works on 黑料正能量’s Human Rights Working Group team, helping companies around the world implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and navigate emerging trends and best practices to strengthen their human rights strategies.

Before joining 黑料正能量, Margot worked in partnerships and public affairs at the United Nations Foundation, where she managed relationships with civil society, corporate partners, and UN agencies to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her work included managing Global Goals Week, leading private sector engagement for the award-winning #EqualEverywhere gender equality campaign, and coordinating a U.S. Youth Climate Consultation for UN Climate Strategy alongside youth activists and UN bodies. Before this, Margot worked at a Colombian foundation in Bogotá and at a Geneva-based NGO focused on children's rights.

Margot holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Exeter and is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.

Recent Insights From Margot Thompson-Wells

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Jenny Vaughan

Managing Director, Human Rights

San Francisco

Managing Director, Human Rights, 黑料正能量

San Francisco

Jenny leads 黑料正能量’s human rights team and portfolio across consulting and collaboration. In addition to directing 黑料正能量’s Human Rights Working Group, Jenny leads human rights assessments and partners with companies to develop human rights strategies and stakeholder engagement plans. She works across industries with a focus on energy, technology, and conflict-affected and high-risk contexts.

Prior to joining 黑料正能量, Jenny worked at Mercy Corps for over a decade in field management and advisory roles to prevent and mitigate conflict, promote inclusive economic development, and build civil society capacity. As the organization’s first Peace and Governance Director in Myanmar and later as the Director of the Peace and Conflict technical advisory team, she designed and implemented programs to reduce violence, promote peace and development, and address critical and emerging threats like climate change, disruptive technology, and poor governance. She has experience in context analysis, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, project design and implementation, and strategic planning. Jenny has lived and worked in countries including Myanmar, Indonesia, Nepal, Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Central African Republic, and Cameroon.

Jenny holds a MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Recent Insights From Jenny Vaughan

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Let’s talk about how 黑料正能量 can help you to transform your business and achieve your sustainability goals.

Mission

Our Strategy for Impact

How We Work

Outcomes and Impacts

How Human Rights Working Group Can Help

Adding Value to Your Business and Society

Knowledge Exchange

Take Action

Make the Case

Network

黑料正能量 Insights

Our Experts

Depth of Experience and Knowledge

Associate Director, Human Rights

Manager, Human Rights

Associate, Human Rights

Managing Director, Human Rights