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ENC and BHRTR Launch ‘TR Compass’ CSO Engagement Hub Following Conclusion of Phase II of Business and Human Rights Project

The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) and the Business and Human Rights Association (BHRTR) have officially concluded the second phase of the “Strengthening Business and Human Rights Awareness and Capacity Building of Civil Society Actors – Phase II” project. As part of this phase, seven dialogue events were organized with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). These events took place in İstanbul, Bursa, Adana, and Gaziantep, offering vital spaces for dialogue, capacity building, and engagement on the topic of business and human rights.

In addition to the dialogue events, the project featured a Closing Event held in İstanbul on 28 April 2025. The Closing Event served both as a showcase of the project’s achievements and as the official launch of TR Compass—a collaborative platform designed to strengthen civil society engagement in the field of business and human rights. A curated digital library of key resources is housed within the TR Compass website.

TR Compass is a voluntary and open network that brings together civil society organizations, trade unions, academics, and individual activists who are committed to promoting responsible business practices and protecting human rights in supply chains. Rather than functioning as a formal alliance, it serves as an open space for connection, knowledge-sharing, and mutual support—particularly in the context of legislation such as the German Supply Chain Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz – LkSG) and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

Civil society organizations and individuals are invited to register through the CSO Engagement Hub to join the network, access resources, and stay informed about future opportunities and initiatives. Participation is entirely voluntary, with no membership fees or legal obligations—just a shared commitment to collaborative learning and action. Learn more about TR Compass here.

This phase of the project has contributed to strengthening the awareness, capacity, and coordination of civil society actors on business and human rights in Türkiye. The tools, networks, and platforms developed—particularly through the establishment of TR Compass—will support the continuity of dialogue and collaboration beyond the project timeline.

We extend our sincere thanks to all stakeholders and participants who contributed to this project.

Contact and Further Information

For more information about TR Compass:
https://trcompass.com.tr/en/

European Neighbourhood Council (ENC):
Website: http://encouncil.org/
Email: media@encouncil.org

Business and Human Rights Association (BHRTR):
Website: https://bhrtr.org/en/
Email: contact@bhrtr.orgcontact@bhrtr.org

ENC ve BHRTR, İş Dünyası ve İnsan Hakları Projesi’nin II. Fazını Tamamlayarak TR Compass STK İşbirliği Ağını Hayata Geçirdi

The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) ve İş Dünyası ve İnsan Hakları Derneği (BHRTR), “Sivil Toplum Aktörlerinin İş Dünyası ve İnsan Hakları Alanındaki Farkındalığını ve Kapasitesini Güçlendirme Projesi’nin II. fazını başarıyla tamamladı. Almanya Dışişleri Bakanlığı ve Almanya İstanbul Başkonsolosluğu’nun desteğiyle yürütülen proje kapsamında, sivil toplum kuruluşları ve sendikaların katılımıyla bir web semineri de dahil olmak üzere yedi diyalog etkinliği düzenlendi. Bu etkinliklerde iş dünyası ve insan hakları konularında paydaş istişareleri gerçekleştirildi.

Proje süresince ayrıca, “TR Compass” Sivil Toplum Ağı’nın resmi tanıtımının yapıldığı bir kapanış etkinliği de İstanbul’da hayata geçirildi.

TR Compass, Türkiye’de iş dünyası ve insan hakları alanında çalışan sivil toplum kuruluşları, sendikalar ve akademisyenleri bir araya getirmeyi amaçlayan gönüllü ve esnek bir ağ olarak kuruldu. Ağ, özellikle Alman Tedarik Zinciri Yasası (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz – LkSG) ve Avrupa Birliği Kurumsal Sürdürülebilirlik Durum Tespiti Direktifi (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – CSDDD) gibi güncel düzenlemeler çerçevesinde, ortak öğrenme ve dayanışmayı teşvik etmeyi hedefliyor.

TR Compass’ın internet sitesi üzerinden, ilgilenen paydaşlar form doldurarak ağa katılabiliyor. Site, aynı zamanda temel insan hakları belgelerini içeren dijital bir kütüphane, proje çıktıları ve etkinlik haberleri gibi çeşitli kaynaklara erişim imkânı sunuyor. Ağa katılım tamamen gönüllülük esasına dayalı olup herhangi bir üyelik ücreti ya da hukuki yükümlülük içermiyor.

Türkiye’de iş dünyası ve insan hakları alanında faaliyet gösteren sivil toplum aktörlerinin farkındalığını artırmayı, kapasitelerini geliştirmeyi ve aralarındaki işbirliğini güçlendirmeyi hedefleyen proje kapsamında geliştirilen araçların ve platformların, proje sonrasında da diyaloğu ve ortak çalışmaları sürdürülebilir kılmasını umuyoruz.

Projenin bu sürecine katkı sunan tüm paydaşlara içten teşekkürlerimizi sunarız.

TR Compass hakkında daha fazla bilgi için:
https://trcompass.com.tr/

European Neighbourhood Council (ENC):
Web: http://encouncil.org/
E-posta: media@encouncil.org

İş Dünyası ve İnsan Hakları Derneği (BHRTR):
Web: https://bhrtr.org/tr/
E-posta: contact@bhrtr.org

New Think Tank Forum Strengthens EU-Central Asia relations ahead of Summit

On March 19, 2025, the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) and the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA) signed the Memorandum of Understanding and co-hosted the inaugural “Central Asia – EU Think Tank Forum” in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Think Tank Forum is developed within full complementarity of the ongoing EU Central Asia political process and provides a platform for academic and think tank discussion, business and technical-expertise exchange, general foresight and track-1.5 diplomacy. It fulfills the key action of the 2023 Joint Roadmap for Deepening Ties between the EU and Central Asia, which calls for “facilitating meaningful participation and engagement of civil society and think tanks in decision-making”. It was intentionally organised two weeks before the historical EU Central Asia Summit, assembling Presidents of all five Central Asian Republics with the President of the European Council H.E. Antonio Costa and the President of the European Commission H.E. Ursula von der Leyen in Samarkand.

​​The first launch of the Think Tank Forum brought together 150 participants, including diplomats, think tank leaders, academics, technical experts, business representatives and media from both Central Asia and Europe. The inaugural speeches were made respectively by highest level invitees: Abdulaziz Kamilov (Highest Advisory Role to the President of Uzbekistan and former Foreign Minister), Javlon Vakhabov (Director of IICA and former Amb. to the United States), Samuel Doveri Vesterbye (Director of ENC), Eduards Stiprais (Ambassador level Special Representative to Central Asia for the EEAS), and Toivo Klaar (EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan).

Attention was given to the importance of EU Central Asia relations as well as the “Tashkent Platform” which is an initiative aimed at strengthening partnerships in key areas such as technology & artificial intelligence, trade, critical raw material investment, industrialisation, regional connectivity, education and tourism. ENC emphasized the importance of knowledge exchange, policy coordination, expert views and research-driven decision-making in shaping the future of EU-Central Asia relations.

Other speakers included Peter Vesterbacka (Finland, Entrepreneur, Slush startup ecosystem, and Angry Birds Founder) and Adamas Ilkyavičius (Lithuania, Innovation Expert), who discussed emerging technologies and forward-thinking initiatives. Emmanuel Dupuy (France, President of the Institute for European Perspective and Security), Rick Fawn (UK, Professor of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews), Heinrich Kerstgens (Germany, Corporate Representative at Rhenus Assets & Services), Shairbek Dzhurayev (Kyrgyzstan, President of Crossroads Central Asia), Tahir Zaimoglu (Uzbekistan, Infrastructure Specialist), and Yerlan Zhakupov (Kazakhstan, Head of the Department at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies) addressed regional development and economic integration, while Roman Dovolnov (UK, Senior Manager for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Ernst & Young) highlighted sustainable practices. Marie Favereau (France, Director of the French Institute for Central Asian Studies) emphasized the importance of academic partnerships. Experts from 16 countries engaged in discussions on cross-border collaboration and future growth, concluding with a commitment to continue dialogue leading up to the next “Central Asia – EU” Summits.

The significance of this forum was further highlighted by the presence of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HRVP), who visited the region last week, as well as the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, who has been in the region in the past weeks. Their engagements underscore the EU’s commitment to deepening its cooperation with Central Asia across multiple sectors with a special focus on logistics, deepened infrastructure networks, energy/renewables, critical raw materials and supply chain investments/trade, as well as digitalisation, security and water management.

During the forum, the IICA and the ENC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen bilateral collaboration and work towards a full strategic partnership with a strong focus on regional integration initiatives under the new platform. The agreement was reached following discussions between IICA Director Javlon Vakhabov and ENC Director Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, focusing on key regional issues and new formats for expert dialogue. This MOU lays the groundwork for a structured relationship that will facilitate follow-up actions in the upcoming EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand on April 3-4, 2025, ensuring continued cooperation and concrete outcomes from the discussions. It guarantees follow-up in expert advice, business-to-business cooperation, impact assessment and support for regional dialogue, educational initiatives, and institutionalised think tank support.

This summit marks a historic milestone as it is the first-ever EU-Central Asia Summit to be held in the region. The event will bring together key European and Central Asian leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, to strengthen regional political and economic ties.

ENC is dedicated to maintaining momentum from this forum, ensuring that structured expert dialogues continue to influence EU-Central Asia relations. As part of this commitment, plans have been set in motion to hold the forum biennially, providing a recurring platform for advancing regional cooperation and policy innovation. Through initiatives like this, ENC remains at the forefront of efforts to deepen EU-Central Asia ties, support economic development, and promote regional stability through expert-driven collaboration.

ENC and BHRTR Host Phase II Launch and Stakeholder Consultation for Business and Human Rights Project in İstanbul

On 16th December, the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) and its partner, the Business and Human Rights Association Turkey (BHRTR), hosted a launch and stakeholder consultation event for Phase II of the “Strengthening Business and Human Rights Awareness and Capacity Building of Civil Society Actors” Project, supported by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the German Consulate in Istanbul. The event aimed to present findings from the Phase I report on Turkey’s business and human rights (BHR) landscape, outline activities for Phase II, and gather valuable stakeholder feedback.

The event began with opening remarks by Asuman Kübra Baş (ENC Project Manager) and Samuel Doveri Vesterbye (ENC Director), who emphasized the vital role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in implementing new due diligence laws (e.g. LkSG and CSDDD). They highlighted the need for stronger stakeholder collaboration to prevent human rights violations in supply chains. Martin Graf, Deputy Consul General at the German Consulate in Istanbul, stressed the growing awareness of these laws among larger companies while emphasizing the importance of extending this understanding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in his welcoming speech.

The presentation of Phase I findings by Emre Keki (ENC Researcher) and Serra Zoraloglu (Projects and Services Coordinator at BHRTR) revealed significant challenges faced by Turkish companies—particularly SMEs—in understanding and complying with the new regulations. These challenges include limited awareness of legal requirements, a lack of resources and expertise to conduct effective due diligence, and concerns about the impact of compliance on competitiveness.

The event continued with an outline of Phase II activities, which were designed to address the challenges identified in Phase I. As explained by Dr. Çiğdem Çımrın (Co-Founder and Chairperson, BHRTR), Phase II focuses on building the capacity of key stakeholders to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape. This includes tailor-made trainings for NGOs, and trade unions, establishment of a dedicated platform for cooperation and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders and several important visibility activities.

The program concluded with a discussion and stakeholder consultation session that brought together representatives from various organizations, including UNDP, FNF Turkey, FES, academics, foundations, unions, and NGOs. Participants explored best practices, potential areas for cooperation, and approaches to addressing shared challenges. This gathering of diverse stakeholders reinforced the importance of collaborative efforts in tackling human rights issues and improving environmental standards. The discussions underscored the value of shared learning and capacity building, enabling organizations to better understand and effectively implement due diligence practices.