Title: Business and human rights in state owned enterprises – the case of Slovenia

Authors: Gorazd Justinek; Jernej Letnar Černič

Addresses: Faculty of Government and European Studies, New University, Slovenia ' Faculty of Government and European Studies, New University, Slovenia; European Faculty of Law, New University, Slovenia

Abstract: This article screens recent developments of public policies in Slovenia towards respecting human rights in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Business and human rights (BHR) policies have gained momentum in recent decades, especially among the OECD countries and also globally. This topic is even all the more important for SOEs, where it is often emphasised that they should play the role of BHR trendsetters. States through their human rights obligations are responsible for ensuring and supervising that its SOEs respect human rights in their own business operations and also in their global supply chains. Throughout this article we are thus analysing Slovenian ownership and governance policies of SOEs over the last decade. Additionally, we are screening the global BHR policy agenda and presenting the latest developments in this field in Slovenia (the legislative and policy fundamentals). Nevertheless, the value-added of the paper is represented in the niche comparison of the BHR policies in SOEs in Slovenia. The research also points out the latest Slovenian sovereign holding (SDH) activities in the field of BHR recommendations and policies towards SOEs.

Keywords: state owned enterprises; business and human rights; BSR; rule of law; Slovenia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2022.123704

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2022 Vol.9 No.4, pp.382 - 398

Received: 03 Jun 2020
Accepted: 24 Aug 2020
Published online: 01 Jul 2022 *

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