Rights holders want to shape the decisions that affect them, and the prevailing, top-down approach to stakeholder engagement falls far short of that. This is what resonated for me at the 8th UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum for Asia and the Pacific, which wrapped up last week in Bangkok.

At the Access to Remedy workshop, over thirty human rights defenders, community activists, and lawyers came together to discuss the challenges, share strategies, and make recommendations for improving access to remedy for human rights abuses linked to corporate activity in the Mekong Region.

The UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum for the Asia-Pacific region took place last week in Bangkok and what struck me most was rights holder frustration and a desire for less talk and more action.