Business & Human Rights in the Russia Context

Prague | 23–24 February 2026 | Hybrid Event

Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, business activities connected to Russia continue to generate serious human rights risks, often beyond public scrutiny and accountability frameworks.

This two-day forum brings together researchers, legal experts, civil society practitioners, and advocates to examine how corporate conduct linked to Russia affects human rights, supply chains, and accountability pathways across borders. The event combines public panels with a practitioner-focused workshop to support collaboration, reflection, and future work in the field of Business & Human Rights (BHR).

The event is hosted by the CEELI Institute in partnership with Araminta and Rights CoLab. GET REGISTERED HERE!

Why should you join?

Despite sanctions, corporate exits, and shifting geopolitical dynamics, Russia remains deeply embedded in global supply chains, digital ecosystems, and investment structures. Human rights harms linked to business activity – from extractive industries affecting Indigenous communities to technology platforms amplifying repression – have not disappeared. In many cases, they have become harder to trace.

This forum responds to a growing gap in the Business & Human Rights field: the need for deeper, case-based analysis of corporate responsibility and accountability in economically isolated, sanctioned, and conflict-affected contexts.

The event aims to:

• Re-center Russia and Eastern Europe in contemporary BHR debates
• Highlight under-examined human rights impacts linked to business activity
• Support a community of practitioners working on accountability and advocacy
• Identify opportunities for future collaboration and follow-up work

PROGRAMM OVERVIEW

Day 1 – Public Panels (23 February 2026) – Hybrid | Open to the public

A series of interactive panels examining emerging themes in Business & Human Rights related to Russia, including global supply chains, digital platforms, and corporate conduct in armed conflict contexts. Participants may attend in person in Prague or join online.

Day 2 – Practitioner Workshop (24 February 2026) – In-person | By registration

A half-day, facilitated workshop focused on reflecting on research outcomes, identifying gaps in the BHR field, and exploring concrete pathways for advocacy, accountability, and future collaboration.

KEY THEMES:

• Indigenous Rights & Extractive Supply Chains
  Environmental destruction, land dispossession, and cultural harm linked to extractive industries operating through complex transnational supply chains.
• Corporate Exits & Human Rights Due Diligence
  How multinational companies withdrew from Russia following the 2022 invasion and where human rights due diligence failed in practice.
• Technology, Information Ecosystems & Authoritarianism
  The role of digital platforms and associated business actors in enabling censorship, surveillance, and disinformation.
• Business & Human Rights in Armed Conflict
  Accountability challenges and advocacy pathways when corporate activity intersects with conflict and international humanitarian law.
  

PARTICIPATION & REGISTRATION

Online participation is available for the public panels on 23 February in an interactive format.

In-person participation is available for attendees in and around Prague on 23 February, with the option to register for the workshop on 24 February.

Venue: CEELI Institute, Villa Gröbovka (Havlíčkovy Sady 58, Prague)
Registration is required for both online and in-person participation. Use our registration form here!