At the 14th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, the IDSN #DalitVoicesUN delegation engagement underscored the urgent need to recognise caste discrimination in global supply chains and human-rights due diligence. Through active engagement in multiple sessions, the focus was on the importance of rights-based, people-centred frameworks aligned with international standards.

Participation in the UN Forum provided the IDSN delegation with an opportunity to engage with global conversations on responsible business conduct, human-rights due diligence (HRDD) and access to remedy for workers and affected communities. Delegates were able to connect their advocacy work and the realities faced by Dalit workers to broader discussions on how the global economy still perpetuates human rights abuses related to migrant labour, systemic exploitation or gender-based violence. IDSN was joined at the Forum by delegates from Dignity Initiative, Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO), Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network and the All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch – NCDHR, among others.

Their presence contributed to greater visibility of caste discrimination within business operations and supply chains as they engaged in informal exchanges with policymakers, businesses and civil-society organisations. The Forum also offered a platform to strengthen networks and cooperation efforts aimed at raising awareness about caste discrimination in global supply chains while advancing rights-based responses in line with international standards.

Below is a recap of some of the key sessions IDSN participated in at the Forum.

Day 1: Prioritising those most at risk

A key message from Day 1 was clear: responsible business must prioritise those who face the greatest risks yet remain least visible — including Dalit workers.

Recommit and Defend DEI

In the session “Recommit and Defend DEI,” speakers reaffirmed that inclusion is integral to the UN Guiding Principles. IDSN continues to stress that caste must be explicitly named in DEI and non-discrimination policies to ensure that Dalit workers are not overlooked in corporate systems. Without explicit reference, discriminatory recruitment, job segregation, wage disparities and heightened risks of bonded or forced labour remain hidden.

People at the centre of HRDD

The session “Putting People at the Centre” emphasised the need for human-rights due diligence that goes beyond checklists. IDSN continues to raise that unless caste is built into HRDD frameworks, Dalit workers remain invisible within risk assessments and remediation processes. Caste continues to shape labour conditions across sectors such as textiles, leather, agriculture, stone and construction. Effective HRDD requires safe engagement with affected workers and an understanding of structural inequalities that fuel exploitation.

Days 2–3: Gender justice, migrant workers and structural inequality

The final days of the Forum focused on women, gender-diverse workers and migrant labour — groups disproportionately affected by systemic discrimination and exploitative practices. 

Gender-responsive HRDD

During the session on gender-responsive HRDD, speakers highlighted how crises and discriminatory systems deepen vulnerabilities. IDSN has continuously raised how Dalit women face some of the most severe and intersecting forms of exploitation in supply chains, including harassment, abuse and bonded labour. Companies must recognise caste as a human-rights risk, conduct caste- and gender-responsive HRDD, support independent grievance channels and engage directly with Dalit women’s organisations.

Migrant workers and responsible recruitment

The session on migrant workers shed light on persistent exploitation through wage theft, debt bondage and ineffective grievance mechanisms. IDSN noted that Dalit migrant workers face particular obstacles in reporting abuses due to social stigma and exclusion. Incorporating caste into HRDD, recruitment oversight and worker-engagement strategies can strengthen early detection of exploitation and support meaningful access to remedy.

Caste raised at the session on environmental harm

Speaking on behalf of The Inclusivity Project, Beena Pallical raised caste on a panel at the Forum session on Strengthening accountability for environmental harm. Ms. Pallical highlighted how Dalits and other communities affected by discrimination based on work and descent are disproportionately exposed to business-related environmental harms, as they are concentrated in the most hazardous segments of supply chains and depend heavily on land, water and forests targeted by extractive and industrial projects. She underscored that corporate-driven deforestation, pollution, displacement and climate impacts exacerbate long-standing structural exclusion. She called for binding corporate due diligence, clear liability for climate damage and reparative adaptation frameworks that ensure meaningful community participation, livelihood restoration and justice for historically discriminated communities.

Moving forward: addressing caste in global business and human rights agendas

Across all sessions, the message was consistent: due diligence frameworks cannot succeed without addressing the structural inequalities — including caste — that shape risk on the ground. IDSN continues to call for explicit recognition of caste in HRDD, stronger accountability mechanisms and sustained engagement with Dalit-led organisations to ensure all workers can speak without fear and access justice.