Official UN Side Event | UN Business and Human Rights Regional Forum for Western Europe 2026

CAHRAs and Risk Prioritization under EU Sustainability Regulation

Strasbourg | In person | 18 September 2026 from 8:30-9:30am CEST

Please join us in Strasbourg for a Steptoe and TrustWorks Global in-person event on ‘CAHRAs and Risk Prioritization under EU Sustainability Regulation’ held on the sidelines of the first edition of the UN Business and Human Rights Regional Forum for Western Europe 2026.

The event will take place at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Friday, September 18 from 08:30 – 09:30 am CEST. Room details will be communicated to all those registered nearer the time.

In this 1-hour workshop, Yousuf Aftab, Partner at Steptoe and Josie Lianna Kaye, CEO of TrustWorks will examine how companies should consider conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRAs) under the prioritization architecture of EU sustainability regulation, including the EU CS3D, Batteries Regulation, and Forced Labor Regulation, among others. These regulations follow distinct prioritization approaches. They converge, however, in leading to CAHRAs as human rights and sustainability priorities for companies across sectors.

The workshop will feature:

• An interactive roundtable on the operational challenges for companies in CAHRAs
• Facilitated discussion on integrated risk prioritization and due diligence approaches under EU sustainability prioritization
• A practical scenario involving a company navigating sourcing decisions connected to a CAHRA-linked supply

Participants will receive practical insights on integrating CAHRA considerations into risk prioritization processes, strengthening governance approaches, and navigating complex operational trade-offs. Further background on the topic is available in a joint Steptoe-TrustWorks briefing note, Conflict and Risk Prioritization under EU Sustainability Regulation.

We look forward to seeing you in Strasbourg.

Please register here: Registration page

Steptoe LLP is a global law firm with a leading human rights & sustainability group led by four Chambers ranked partners in Business & Human Rights, Environment, Trade, and Investigations. The team includes a former Chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights and the former General Counsel of the OECD. Our counsel is innovative and grounded in commercial reality, informed by extensive experience in-house, and honed from decades of practice.

Contact: Yousuf Aftab, yaftab@steptoe.com

TrustWorks Global

TrustWorks Global (TrustWorks) is a Geneva-based boutique firm specialised in responsible business and investments in conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRAs) founded in 2013. With over twelve years of experience working with companies and investors, TrustWorks focuses on international humanitarian law, heightened human rights due diligence and conflict-sensitive investments and business activities in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.

Contact: Josie Lianna Kaye, josie@trustworksglobal.com