On 22 May, Kate Cook participated in an IBA webinar on Sustainable Agriculture, together with lawyers from UNFAO and IFAD. Kate is the author of a new UNFAO guide on due diligence in the context of agricultural investment, aimed at private sector lawyers advising on investments in land and other natural resources. In the light of IBA guidance and of international instruments on the protection of tenure rights, she outlined the dual responsibilities of lawyers: both to support business clients in meeting their responsibilities under the business and human rights framework, as well as reviewing the law firm’s internal policies and practices in order to ensure the firm’s own compliance with the UN Guiding Principles.
A recording of the event is available here, together with a link to the new guide as well as other relevant resources.