Voices - Conversations on Business and Human Rights from Around the World

Hosted by IHRB, Institute for Human Rights and Business

Business Society CultureInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

181

Latest episode

Nov 2026

Language

About the show

In this ongoing series, activists, business executives, government officials, lawyers, academics, and other experts from around the world share topical and current stories of businesses impacting people in their everyday lives. Developed by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), this series elevates the range of voices – governments, businesses, and civil society – in the discussion on how to make human rights part of everyday business.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 4, 202635 min

Land, rights and consultation: Lessons from a landmark case in South Africa

In August 2026, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that an exploration right held by Shell and Impact Africa, to carry out seismic surveys for oil and gas off the country’s Wild Coast, had been granted unlawfully. IHRB’s Research Fellow Judy Hofmeyr hears from Wilmien Wicomb, a senior attorney in the Constitutional Litigation Unit at the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), who represented the first community applicants in the case. Together, they look at what the ruling means for business and community engagement in South Africa and beyond.

September 24, 202636 min

Lessons from Oman: Balancing a green transition with worker rights

Oman's economy has relied on oil and gas for decades. Now, the country is investing heavily in green hydrogen and renewables, whilst also rolling out one of the most significant social protection reforms for workers seen in the region in recent decades. IHRB's Sarah Mostafa-Kamel speaks to Rumaitha Al Busaidi, an Omani scientist and environmental advocate, and Anfal Al Alawi, an energy sector and worker welfare expert in Oman's energy industry, about the lessons Oman's example hold for other countries in managing this transition.

August 27, 202626 min

AI and responsible business: emerging risks and opportunities

What do companies need to know about AI's impact on human rights, and how can it be harnessed as a force for good? Ray Eitel-Porter is a global expert in AI governance, safety and ethics who advises multinational companies and the public sector, and is a member of IHRB’s International Advisory Council. He’s also the author of “Governing the Machine: How to Navigate the Risks of AI and Unlock its True Potential”. IHRB’s Salil Tripathi caught up with Ray to discuss the positive differences AI could make to human rights, as well as current challenges it presents, such as bias getting baked into the system, the struggles faced by communities impacted by data centres, and how to be prepared for further automation in the workplace. Their conversation covers key tips for companies and governments trying to get AI right. Ray and Salil also discuss what’s called the oversight paradox, the idea that humans become less able to responsibly oversee AI over time as they lose experience once tasks are automated.

July 23, 202627 min

Navigating ‘Distributive Justice’ in the energy transition

IHRB's Head of Just Transitions, Haley St Dennis, and IHRB Research Fellow, Judy Hofmeyr, discuss the concept of ‘distributive justice’ - what is it really, how does it relate to the other forms of justice at the heart of any just transition, and why it can be a useful tool to help business practitioners involved in transition decision making.

July 16, 202634 min

World Cup special: business, human rights, and the beautiful game

IHRB’s Salil Tripathi speaks to Mary Harvey, CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, and Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch. With the 2026 World Cup underway, they discuss whether FIFA's human rights framework is being upheld in practice.

July 2, 202619 min

Have the UNGPs really changed corporate behaviour?

IHRB's Salil Tripathi speaks to Anita Ramasastry, Professor of Law at the University of Washington, about whether the UNGPs have been effective at strengthening corporate accountability, and how they might evolve in the years to come.

June 15, 202630 min

Are the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights still relevant?

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights were adopted 15 years. In this episode, IHRB’s Salil Tripathi speaks to Jane Nelson, the Director of the Corporate Responsibility Initiative at Harvard Kennedy Business School, about whether, in the current climate, the UNGPs are out of touch or more relevant than ever, and how both states and business actors can implement the Principles in the years ahead.

May 13, 202634 min

Meaningful engagement: what it really takes to work well with communities

IHRB’s Salil Tripathi hears from Froydis Cameron-Johansson, a consultant who has spent nearly 30 years working with oil, gas, and mining companies. In this episode, you’ll hear why it’s so important to treat consultation with communities as an ongoing relationship and why FPIC (Free Prior and Informed Consent) goes far beyond getting a legal permit.

April 15, 202632 min

Crises colliding: the impact of dark fleets and conflict on seafarers

IHRB’s Francesca Fairbairn speaks to Mark Dickinson, outgoing General Secretary of Nautilus International, and Nathan Smith, a ship inspector with the International Transport Workers' Federation, to find out more about dark fleets. Together they examine the weaknesses in international maritime law that allow dark fleets to thrive, and the human cost borne by the seafarers on board.

March 25, 202630 min

The Dyson Case: a landmark moment for business and human rights?

A recent legal case involving Dyson and 24 migrant workers is being called a landmark moment for business and human rights—but why? After the UK Court of Appeal allowed the case to be heard in the UK, despite the alleged abuses taking place at a supplier factory in Malaysia, big questions are being raised about corporate accountability overseas. In this episode, IHRB's Salil Tripathi is joined by Anna Triponel, the founder of Human Level, and Oliver Holland, a partner at law firm Leigh Day unpack what this case means and why it matters.