Towards rights-compatible use of digital technologies in stakeholderengagement

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will hold the second online consultation in its series on the rights-compatible use of digital technologies in stakeholder engagement on 8–9 December 2025. The discussion builds on a first consultation held in 2024, which mapped the current landscape of digital tools used for engagement and examined their benefits and limitations.

This upcoming session will focus on the boundaries of technology in engagement processes—specifically, where human involvement remains essential to ensure that interactions with affected stakeholders are meaningful, trustworthy, and aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Participants will explore recent developments in digital tools, assess which tasks can be automated, and consider when human judgement, supervision, and accountability are necessary. The consultation will also look at blended approaches, safeguards for responsible use of data, and questions companies and regulators should ask when evaluating whether technology-enabled engagement meets human rights expectations.

The two-day meeting forms part of OHCHR’s broader mandate under Human Rights Council Resolution 53/3 to hold annual consultations and report on challenges and good practices in the implementation of the UNGPs. Insights gathered will inform a report to be presented to the Human Rights Council in mid-2026.