The Bulgarian Foundation for Business and Human Rights is pleased to invite you to the first-ever event dedicated to the topic of business and human rights.
The event will take place on 26 June at 9.30 – 13.30 at The Steps (12 Bratya Miladinovi Street, Sofia) and is organised with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bulgaria as part of the project “Business and Human Rights: The Dutch Experience”.
How does the subject of business and human rights apply in large international companies?
How are the EU policies changing and what impact will they have on Eastern Europe and Bulgaria in particular?
Could diversity and inclusion initiatives be an opportunity to improve understanding of the topic?
How is the topic of business and human rights applied in Bulgaria?
What is the experience in the Netherlands and how do companies in the Netherlands effectively implement business and human rights rules in their business activities?
Business and human rights expert, co-founder, and President of the board of the Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business. A lawyer with over 20 years of substantive experience in academic and policy-oriented research, training, and consultancy services in the area of human rights and business, due diligence standards and CSR/RBC/ESG, and developing and delivering training on human rights due diligence, stakeholder engagement, human rights policies, etc. Regional advisor Central and Eastern Europe for the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights (GBI).
Dr. Olena Uvarova, Associate Professor, since 2018, leads the International Lab on Business and Human Rights at Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (Kharkiv, Ukraine). In June 2022, she joined Wageningen University (the Netherlands), Law Group, as a Researcher on business and human rights and Research Coordinator. Since March 2023, Olena has been an MSCA4UKRAINE Postdoc. For more than 8 years, Olena has been focusing her work on business and human rights in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She is a guest Co-Editor of the Special Issue on BHR in Eastern Europe for the ‘Business and Human Rights Journal’. She is also a member of the Editorial board of the journal. Since May 2023, co-president of the Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association.
Ron Popper has been working on the business and human rights agenda as a practitioner and advisor in multinational companies for nearly 20 years in different parts of the world. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights which groups more than 20 multinationals, and a member of several Boards, including the Institute for Human Rights and Business. For 10 years he was Head of Corporate Responsibility at the Swiss-based multinational ABB. He is a regular lecturer teaching business and human rights courses at institutes and universities in Switzerland, Norway, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom. In the first part of his working life, he was a newspaper and radio journalist in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Switzerland covering international politics and diplomacy.
А business and human rights specialist who believes that placing people at the center is the key to solving global problems. She founded the Bulgarian Foundation for Business and Human Rights as the first expert organisation in Bulgaria. In her work, she aims to apply an interdisciplinary approach when addressing issues related to the impact of business on human rights. She completed her law degree at Monash University, Australia, and specialised in business and human rights as part of her master’s course at the EMA Global Campus in Venice, Italy.
Gergana Manolova is Director International Cooperation and Business Relations at M-Gas Ltd. Member of the NGO “Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria“ and chairperson of the organization’s communications group between 2022 and 2024. Founder of Bulgaria’s first Academy for “Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and lecturer in the topic “Overcoming unconscious biases”. She completed her business master’s degree at Imperial College in London and currently is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
Dr. Ivan Angelov is a vice-dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” with a portfolio of MBA programs and business training. He has extensive experience and a proven track record in academia and business. He teaches the following disciplines: strategic management, international management, investment portfolio management, international business strategies, leadership, fundamentals of management, business planning, and control. A professional with more than 20 years of experience in public and private organizations, finance, project development and evaluation, analysis, and strategic planning.
Ivana Tsvetkova is the SDG Programs Manager at the Bulgarian Network of the United Nations Global Compact. She is a professional with expertise in international law, social accountability and ethical business conduct. Ivana gained her BA in International Relations and Politics at the University of Sheffield, UK and graduated LLM International Law & International Relations at the University of Kent, Brussels, Belgium. She has international work experience, having worked in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. For nearly 10 years, she has been engaged in human rights impact assessments, audits, compliance, project development and implementation, sustainable supply chain and others.
Latchezar Petkov is currently the Secretary-General at the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA). He has previous experience as director of the “Internationalization of SMEs” Directorate, BSMEPA. He has a diplomatic career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as an ambassador with almost 40 years of experience and expertise in the foreign service. He has specialized in bilateral diplomacy with Central and Western European countries and North and South America. He has a particular interest in the development of bilateral connections with the states from Central Asia and Eastern Europe, especially in the area of general institutional management, human resources, and crisis management.
Katerina Lyutakova has extensive experience in serving large corporate clients in commercial and administrative projects, regulatory matters and disputes. Katerina demonstrates significant experience and deep knowledge in GDPR, E-commerce, ESG and other regulations. She has conducted extensive research on both Bulgarian and European legislation, including the implementation of regulations and directives in Bulgaria and analysis of European Court of Justice decisions. Katerina advises organisations on improving their internal practices. In recent years, she has actively participated as a speaker at various events, sharing her practical knowledge and experience with the audience.
Georgi Bogdanov has been the executive director of the National Network for Children for more than 15 years. Georgi Bogdanov has a master’s degree in European social policy and social work from the New Bulgarian University, with a thesis on good management practices. Doctor of Sciences at the Faculty of History of Sofia University “St. Cl. Ohridski”. He was a member of the management board of Eurochild, and an independent consultant to the European Commission for Social Inclusion from 2005 to 2022. He worked for many civil organizations in Bulgaria and abroad such as the World Bank, UNICEF, etc.
Kamelia Slaveykova is a Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shell Bulgaria. Her professional career is mostly linked to Shell. With her about 30 years tenure at Shell where she went through different positions including the role of a Country Chair of Shell Bulgaria in the period 2008 – 2021. An active participant in the local business community, Kamelia Slaveykova has been a member of the Managing Board of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum since 2010. In December 2023 she was elected as a Vice Chair of the ESG Committee at KRIB. She was also a member of the Bulgarian office of the European Council on Foreign Relations in the period 2016 – 2022. She has received numerous awards such as “Woman of the Decade”; a special prize for 30 years leadership on the Bulgarian market at the official ceremony of “Mr. and Mrs. Economy” 2021. In the period 2016 – 2019, Forbes Woman ranked her as one of the 20 most influential business leaders in Bulgaria.
Vania Peshanova is a general manager of Unilever Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro. She joined the company shortly after its establishment in Bulgaria. Vania held many key positions in the Unilever group in the country and abroad mainly in marketing and sales departments. From 2021 she holds the position of a General Manager for Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro and has played a key role in the development of the company in the region. She completed a Masters of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.
Olga Lavrenova has been part of the team of the most international brewer – HEINEKEN since 2005 and has extensive experience in various management positions. In 2013, she took the position of sales manager in Bulgaria and for three years led the sales team of ZAGORKA becoming a member of the company’s management team. In 2016, she became a sales director – modern trade, and three years later she was promoted to a senior director of sales and distribution of HEINEKEN Russia. In 2021, she returned to Bulgaria in the role of executive director of ZAGORKA, part of the HEINEKEN corporation. In this position, her focus is on balanced business growth, achieving sustainability and responsibility ambitions, developing the talents of the people in the company, and promoting a diverse, inclusive and safe workspace.
Bozhidara Zhivkova began her journalistic career at Economic. bg in 2013. She was the editor-in-chief for six years after which she participated in creating the lifestyle publication Oshte. bg which she managed for two years. ESGnews.bg is another challenge that she has embarked on with great excitement by introducing the audience to the impact of climate change, the possible solutions, and good practices that could help save our planet. The website is the first media platform for the promotion of ESG in Bulgaria and in a short period of time has become a trusted partner for businesses and institutions in the country.
9:30 - 10:00
Registration
10:00 - 10:10
Official Opening representatives from the Bulgarian Foundation for Business and Human Rights and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
10:10 - 10:30
Opening Keynote Speaker “Why respecting human rights is good for business?" Ron Popper, CEO of the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights
10:30 - 10:40
Q & A with Olya Peneva, Director, Bulgarian Foundation for Business and Human Rights
10:40 - 11:20
1st Panel The development of business and human rights: European and regional perspective
- Speakers:
- Regional Perspective Eastern Europe and Central Asia:
Beata Faracik, Co-founder and Director, Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business - Overview of the Netherlands Developments on Business and Human Rights:
Olena Uvarova Ph.D., Research Coordinator in the Law Group, Wageningen University and Leader of the International Lab on Business and Human Rights, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University
Moderator: Olya Peneva, Director, Bulgarian Foundation for Business and Human Rights
11:20 - 11:50
Coffee break
11:50 - 12:00
Special topic Diversity and Inclusion in Bulgaria. An Opportunity to Advance the Business and Human Rights Agenda
Academy ”Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging” Gergana Manolova, The Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria and Dr. Ivan Angelov is a vice-dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"12:00 - 12:30
2nd Panel The implementation of the business and human rights agenda in Bulgaria
- Speakers:
- Representatives from the public sector and NGOs working in sustainability, ESG and responsible business conduct
Moderator: Georgi Bogdanov, Еxecutive Director of the National Network for Children
- “The Role of the National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct”, Lachezar Petkov, general secretary, The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPА)
- “Human Rights: UN and the Businesses on a Sustainability Mission” .Ivana Tsvetkova is the SDG Programs Manager at the Bulgarian Network of the United Nations Global Compact
- “Responsible Business Conduct: How do companies overcome legal obstacles and realize benefits?”. Katerina Lyutakova, Attorney at Law, Savov & Partners Law Firm
12:35 - 13:15
3rd Panel Dutch companies sharing best practices
- Discussion: Representatives from companies from the Kingdom of the Netherlands will present good practices.
Moderator: Bozhidara Zhivkova, Editor-in-chief, ESGnews.bg and Economics, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
- International company sharing best practices "Shell’s approach on human rights and how this is implemented in Bulgaria”, Kamelia Slaveykova, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shell Bulgaria.
- “The next era of corporate sustainability: why respect for human rights is a non-negotiable part of doing business with Unilever”, Vania Peshanova, General Manager Unilever Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro
- “ZAGORKA, part of HEINEKEN we create a better world for people and the planet”, Olga Lavrenova, Managing Director at ZAGORKA, part of HEINEKEN
13:15 - 13:30
Q & A with Olya Peneva, Director, Bulgarian Foundation for Business and Human Rights
13:30
Closing
