A/HRC/RES/40/11 Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) of the International Labour Organization to consider doing so; 17. Encourages States to ensure that information held by public authorities, including that relating to environmental, land, natural resources and development issues, is proactively disclosed and not unnecessarily classified or otherwise withheld from the public, and calls upon all States to adopt transparent, clear and expedient laws and policies that provide for the effective disclosure of information held by public authorities and a general right to request and receive information, for which public access should be granted, except within narrow, proportionate, necessary and clearly defined limitations; 18. Encourages all States to ensure to the maximum extent possible that the competent authorities generate, collect, publicize and disseminate environmental information relevant to their functions in a systematic, proactive, timely, regular, accessible and comprehensible manner, and periodically update that information and encourage the disaggregation and decentralization, where appropriate, of environmental information at the subnational and local levels; 19. Underlines the value of national human rights institutions, established and operating in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles), in the continued engagement with human rights defenders, including environmental human rights defenders; 20. Recognizes the important and legitimate role of human rights defenders in identifying and raising awareness of human rights impacts, the benefits and risks of development projects and business operations, including in relation to workplace health, safety and rights, and natural resource exploitation, environmental, land and development issues, by expressing their views, concerns, support, criticism or dissent regarding government policy or action or business activities, and underlines the need for States to take the measures necessary to safeguard space for such public dialogue and its participants; 21. Calls upon all States to implement the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including to develop a national action plan or other such framework, and to encourage all business enterprises to carry out human rights due diligence, including with regard to human rights relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean and healthy environment and by conducting meaningful and inclusive consultations with potentially affected groups and other relevant stakeholders; 22. Underscores the responsibility of all business enterprises, both transnational and others, in accordance with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to respect human rights, including the rights to life, liberty and security of person of human rights defenders, including environmental human rights defenders, and their exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and participation in public affairs, which are essential for the promotion and protection of all human rights, and the importance that business enterprises establish or participate in effective and accessible operational-level grievance mechanisms for individuals and communities who may be adversely impacted; 23. Encourages all business enterprises, as part of their human rights due diligence in accordance with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, to share and exchange best practices in this regard, and to communicate in an accessible form on how they address their adverse human rights impacts, particularly when concerns are raised by or on behalf of affected stakeholders, including by environmental human rights defenders; 24. Encourages States to avail themselves of technical assistance in follow-up to the present and previous resolutions of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council on the protection, individually and collectively, of human rights defenders, including environmental human rights defenders, such as through collaboration, based on mutual consent, with national human rights institutions, regional organizations, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant special procedures, and other relevant international agencies and organizations, and with other States; 6

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