UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program 2026

The Business & Human Rights Accelerator is a six-month programme activating companies participating in the UN Global Compact across industries and regions. The objective is to help businesses swiftly move from commitment to action on human rights and labour rights through establishing an ongoing human rights due diligence process in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

• Table of Content
• About United Nations
• UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program
• Aim and Benefits of UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program
• Requirements for UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program

Aim and Benefits of UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program

• An understanding of where your company is on their human rights journey
• An assessment of actual and potential adverse human rights impacts and the ability to prioritize action
• The knowledge about steps to take to mitigate your human rights impacts, including grievance mechanisms and remedy
• Ways to effectively engage stakeholders on operational impacts on people
• An action plan to advance human rights in your company and beyond
• A network of peers, UN partners and experts to support your human rights journey and work collectively to tackle persistent barriers to human rights due diligence.
• A certificate demonstrating completion of programme

Requirements for UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program Qualification

To take part in the Business & Human Rights Accelerator, companies are required to be participants of the UN Global Compact or willing to join. Your company should also be:

• Currently engaged with a Global Compact Country Network in your region or willing to join
• Willing to identify its human rights risks and impacts and scope a core area of your value chain for further focus
• Committed to developing an Action Plan to help address the human rights risks identified and prioritized
• Able to appoint two working-level representatives to attend sessions and participate in Accelerator activities and an additional executive-level representative to follow programme developments, provide support and participate in high-level events
• Commit to completing the programme and embedding the learnings across the company strategy and operations

Interview date, Process and Venue for UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program

The Learning Experience

Stage 1

Participants understand the Human Rights and Labour Principles of the UN Global Compact, UN Guiding Principles and the human rights due diligence process and determine where they are on their human rights journey.

Stage 2

Participants scope the company value chain and identify potential impacts.

Stage 3

Participants prioritize salient human rights impacts and understand their involvement with those impacts.

Stage 4

Participants start developing specific actions and related metrics.

Stage 5

Participants understand how to effectively engage affected stakeholders and communicate their impacts.

Stage 6

Participants understand remedy and grievance mechanisms.

Tracks

In-Country Track: In-country tracks are facilitated in the local language and local time zone wherever possible. It will feature a series of live and on-demand sessions, hands-on support, workshops, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities.

In addition to the in-country tracks, there will be several regional tracks.

Africa Track: The Africa track will bring together companies from across the continent and offer the same curriculum as the in-country track delivered through a series of global and on-demand sessions. Peer-to-peer sessions will focus on regional best practice and case studies.

Application Timeline:

• Application Open: 10 September 2025
• Application Deadline: 19 December 2025
• Accelerator Begins: February 2026 (Please check exact dates with your Global Compact Country Network)

Check also:
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC 2027
Chevening Scholarship 2027

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit UN Global Compact Business & Human Rights Accelerator Program webpage