In Memoriam of Professor Steven Haines

It is with great sadness that we share that our dear colleague Steven Haines passed away in Agust 2025. Steven lived many lives, all of them extraordinary and in all of them making real contributions and touching the heart of so many people. At the BHRE we were privileged to share many many happy times discussing international law, human rights and our role in the world. He was an inspiration to his colleagues and a beacon for his students. We greatly miss our dear friend.

As an academic Steven worked tirelessly for the protection of education and schools in armed conflicts and human rights at sea making a real impact with his research, transforming law, policy and practice. He .was most proud of his work with the Global Coalition for the Protection of Education in Conflict and Human Rights at Sea.

Human Rights at Sea has prepared this beautiful memorial page.

Electronics Watch celebrates its 10 year anniversary!!

Electronics Watch is 10 this year! Founded on 19 February 2015, Electronics Watch emerged from a three-year EU funded initiative, uniting seven NGOs with a shared vision: to harness the power of public procurement to protect workers' rights.

A decade on, that vision has grown into a global movement. From its beginnings with seven monitoring partners and 15 founding affiliates, it has flourished into a network that now stands stronger than ever:

• 1518 public sector affiliates in 13 countries plus one international organisation, using their leverage to promote and protect workers' rights.

• 18 monitoring partners in production and mining regions, working year-round within workers' communities, guided by their rights and priorities.

• 10 public sector participants from six countries in our Low Emission Vehicle Programme, expanding our impact into the automotive sector.

• Six public authorities engaged in the Knowledge Building Series of our Innovation Pilot, learning how they can protect workers across all high-risk purchasing categories.

• Regular dialogue with 25 trade unions in production regions, essential partners in the worker-driven remediation processes that we facilitate.

Thanks to all of you for your diligent, committed, and heartfelt work, often in challenging circumstances. This collaboration has allowed us to increase our impact for workers in global supply chains. Together, we are realising the potential of public procurement for workers' rights.

As its looks ahead the next 10 years, Electronics Watch remains committed to standing against global threats to human rights, climate, and democracy, and to seizing every opportunity to make a difference.

Check the celebration video here

The International Working Group for Ethical Public Procurement writes to MEPs

The International Working Group on Ethical Public Procurement (IWGEPP) has written to EU Members of Parliament in the context of the reform of the EU Public Procurement Directives, calling for the Parliament to support the strengthening of labour standards and sustainable development in this process.

The EU spends approximately €2 trillion annually (15% of GDP) on public procurement. While essential for public services, these supply chains often pose risks of human rights violations and environmental harm. A revision of procurement directives should ensure that public funds promote fair competition, strong labor standards, and sustainable procurement. They should seek to reduce supply chain risks while driving economic development within the EU and other producing countries.

To achieve this, the IWGEPP has outlined the following key priorities:

1. Alignment with international frameworks for human rights and labour standards

2. Demanding human rights and environmental due diligence

3. Moving away from the lowest price criteria

4. Enhancing SME and Social Economy Actors participation

5. Strengthening knowledge exchange and capacity building

The full letter is available here.

The International Working Group on Ethical Public Procurement (IWGEPP) is collaboration between representatives from public contracting authorities, governmental bodies, academia, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and NGOs from several countries. Our mission is to integrate socially responsible public procurement into procurement processes worldwide. It serves as a hub for public buyers, policymakers, procurement practitioners, NGOs, and scholars to share best practices, explore collaborative initiatives, and promote innovation in responsible procurement. For more information visit International Learning Lab on Procurement and Human Rights