Human Rights in Business is a context-based matter. It is not the radical social justice variant which the activists call for. This is more from a welfare standpoint, and the context is care. The job of a business to cater to its customers primarily while keeping in mind its stakeholders in the ethical vain. ESG is about doing business in the ethical approach. Human Rights is thus protecting businesses from a reputational perspective than correcting historical wrongs of slavery and colonialism. An understanding of history and culture is context for global businesses. The best branding gurus read ethnography and history to understand culture.

There is an enormous need for cultural understanding through history and ethnography for an effective social impact assessment for infrastructure. There is a tendency to be apolitical and technocratic, which is quite meaningless for effective participation.

The Gateway of India area hotels in Bombay serving dates and gahwa at the hotel reception, next to the Arabian Sea brings the whiff of the souks to the souls here.

Such a humbling experience to speak at the University of Lethbridge Border Studies Group E Conference- ‘The Line Crossed Us’ on Racial Capitalism and Borders in the Post Oil Gulf.

Loved the kind, inclusive spirit of the congregation where academic solidarity rather than snobbery was in action.

Remote Conferences are a boon for scholars from the Global South, and the 11.5 hour time zone difference is bearable at 2.15am.

Loved speaking on the area of the world where I work and grew up in the Khaleej and there is so much interest as people want deeper insights rather than mere headlines.

There needs to be a dialogue between IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles and MFI Safeguards or the world of project finance with the realm of ESG ratings and emergent frameworks such as CSRD and TNFD for better transition finance mechanisms.

The world of MFI lending will provide the patient capital for long durée climate transitions. The interoperability of ESG frameworks should act as a bridge to MFI Safeguards.

At the Ajmal Store next to the Gateway of India, Bombay soaking in the aroma with the chatter of Khaleeji tourists with Gahwa.

There were Omani tourists who were enquiring about Bakhour.

I am aware that companies are there to sell their product to make a profit and not sustainability considerations, however the global zeitgeist is evolving towards treating workers better while combatting climate change. Thus, it is a factor towards mainstreaming human rights reflected in the HRDD mandate in the EU CSRD law. The meta considerations behind ESG are quasi political, in transnational liberal politics, in a next wave of globalization and integration. Green parties are a major feature on the electoral landscape in the EU.

The HRDD mandate needs to go beyond tier one suppliers where the problems lie. If the civil society actors and journalists can identify the rot, I bet mega corporations with plenty of spare change can allocate resources more than the token sustainability team.

Having worked with labor and civil society actors at the base of the pyramid throughout Asia, there are ways and means to creatively detect and diagnose problems at various scales. I am happy to speak to actors who need the right insights beyond consulting obfuscation.

In the era of transnational litigation, each data point is material. There are forced labor and modern slavery legislations from the EU to Australia.

I start a small research project on transnational social protection of injured migrant workers, building on working with migrant activists and community leaders and NGOs in SE Asia and the Gulf since the past decade, as there needs to be better action research to protect and care for those who build our cities and communities with our remittances. I would work on this for the next year. Please suggest readings or names to speak to.