NextGenBHR Hackathon: Youth Solutions for Stronger Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence

NextGenBHR Hackathon

Youth Solutions for Stronger Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence

13:00-16:00 MYT | 30-31 March 2026

Overview

In a rapidly evolving business environment, companies face increasing challenges and uncertainty, often adjusting their strategies to meet shifting expectations. Yet amid political and socioeconomic volatility, businesses frequently overlook one of their greatest assets – the ideas, innovation, and perspectives of young people. The over 1.1 billion young people in Asia make up over 60% of the global youth population.

Across the region, young people are already shaping change – as innovators, advocates, data analysts, and sustainability professionals working at the forefront of community action and policy momentum. And their insights yield tangible results. During COP27, youth participation and advocacy resulted in the establishment of the loss and damage fund and increased pledges on adaptation measures. On climate justice, what started as a campaign by 27 university students in Vanuatu on climate impacts on future generations, led to the historic International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on State obligations on Climate Change.

In the business context, young workers, young consumers, and young community members often have forward-looking insight into evolving social norms and consumer expectations, and they often experience risks first. Integrating their insights into environmental sustainability and human rights due diligence processes can strengthen companies’ ability to identify emerging risks early, build trust, and strengthen long-term competitiveness.

Yet youth are often excluded from corporate spaces where supply chain risk, due diligence implementation, and business strategy are defined and designed. To prepare for the future with confidence, youth must engage as equal partners in driving change.

The ‘NextGenBHR Hackathon: Future-Ready Youth Perspectives’ brings together passionate young leaders from Malaysia and across Asia with industry leaders and experts to work through real-world human rights and environmental due diligence challenges.

As part of the CSERA conference, this unique opportunity will see youth directly work with corporate sustainability plans, and confront real-world business, human rights and environment (BHR+E) challenges. Under the guidance of expert mentors, youth will co-develop actionable solutions that bridge business priorities with lived realities of the rights holders.

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION:

Selection is based on application only. Criteria include:

All applicants to apply individually
Selected participants (aged 20–32 years)
Must show demonstrated interest in human rights, environment or business operations
Selected participants must be part of either an academic programme in related disciplines (at Masters’ Level), or part of a civil society organization working on environmental or human rights advocacy.

Selected participants will be placed into diverse teams of four based on their chosen topic. Teams will work collaboratively to research, diagnose, and develop innovative solutions. Industry mentors will provide guidance throughout the process but will not solve the challenge on behalf of participants. Final ideas will be pitched to business representatives seeking practical, actionable insights from youth.

APPLY HERE:

APPLICATION | NextGenBHR: Future-Ready Due Diligence Powered by Youth Perspectives

LEARN:

Build practical skills in human rights and environmental due diligence. Understand how supply chain risk is identified, assessed, and managed, and where youth perspectives can strengthen fairness, and accountability.

ENGAGE:

Turn your ideas into solutions for real-world corporate challenges. Work in diverse teams to analyze actual business case scenarios, identify gaps in existing due diligence approaches, and co-design innovative responses. Engage directly with industry mentors; bringing rights-holder realities into spaces where strategy is shaped.

CONNECT:

Join a regional network of young agents of change, and responsible business leaders. Pitch your solutions to corporate representatives, build cross-sector relationships, and position yourself as part of the next generation shaping rights-based, sustainable business practice.

SESSION SPEAKERS

LOUISE MABULO

Ambassador, Food & Land Use Coalition and Founder, The Cacao Project

Louise Mabulo is a chef, farmer, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder of The Cacao Project,
which cultivates resilient and Climate-smart livelihoods, positioning farmers for sustainable
success in San Fernando, Camarines Sur, Philippines. Her work has supported over 200 farmers
to plant over 300,000 trees, reforesting 741 acres of land-- creating regenerative agroforests
and empowering local communities to set up their own enterprises.
Louise is a National Geographic Explorer, a featured honouree for Forbes Asia’s list ‘30 Under
30’, Named as one of BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring and Influential Women of the Year, a Young
Champion of the Earth under the United Nations Environment Programme, a UN Foundation
SDG Vanguard Award, Young Activists Summit Laureate, an honouree of Tatler’s ‘Generation T’,
and one of the World’s 50 Next Game-changing Producers listed by the World’s 50 Best
Restaurants Awarding Body. Louise is an Ambassador of the World Resources Institute’s Food
and Land Use Coalition, a member of the Climate Overshoot Commission under Paris Peace
Forum, a member of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration Advisory Committee, and is an
official TED Speaker.
She is a television presenter for the Channel News Asia documentary series, “Tech to Save the
World”, where she explores technological innovation and Artificial Intelligence-driven Climate
Solutions to some of the leading challenges of our time. She also hosts the cooking show
‘Simply Sarap’, promoting cultural diplomacy under the Department of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of the Philippines. She is also the host of #GenGeo Conversations under the National
Geographic Society, and NatGeo Presents: Earth Day Stories: Diet vs. Planet Documentary
series. Louise strives toward empowering farmers and advancing climate action &
environmental stewardship through her work.

EUGENE WONG

Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Finance Institute Asia

Eugene Wong is the Chief Executive Officer of SFIA, an independent institute established to catalyse ideas on Sustainable Finance at the policy level in ASEAN, as well as propel action in support of those policy ideas. SFIA is dedicated to enhancing the three pillars of ASEAN’s sustainable finance ecosystem – ASEAN Taxonomy, Transition Finance Frameworks and Disclosures. SFIA is currently the Host of the ASEAN Taxonomy Board. In the transition finance space, SFIA has contributed to the development of both the versions of the ASEAN Transition Finance Guidance and is an observer of the ASIA Transition Finance Study Group. It has also provided input to the Asia GX Consortium.Eugene was previously the Managing Director, Corporate Finance & Investments of the Securities Commission Malaysia (“SC”). He also served as a member of the Audit Oversight Board in Malaysia and was an Adviser to the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board. He
oversaw the SC’s ASEAN related initiatives and was a Chair of the Deputies of ASEAN Capital Markets Forum and a Co-Chair of the ASEAN Working Committee on Capital Market Development.
Eugene is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Fellow of CPA Australia and a Chartered Accountant of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

ELIZABETH WU

Independent Consultant

Elizabeth Wu is a transnational governance consultant and international dispute resolution lawyer focusing on how international economic law can drive environmental and climate justice. With over 13 years of experience in transnational corporate accountability, climate and environmental governance, and complex cross-border dispute resolution, she advises the public and private sectors and civil society on initiatives across Asia. She is an International Consultant with the UNDP Global Policy Network; Lead Advisor, Environmental Justice and Transnational Governance, for Climate Governance Malaysia; Global Fellow and Visiting Researcher with the National University of Singapore; and Singapore Rapporteur for the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law."

ANUSHA RYM

Project Coordinator, Agents of Change: Youth and Media for Responsible Business Practices

Anusha has centered her work on youth engagement and civic participation, climate and environmental justice, gender equity, and the localization of sustainable development over the past six years. With a background in law and public policy, her experience spans advocacy for the rule of law, good governance, and the strengthening of institutions that enable inclusive and responsible decision-making.

She currently manages AOC, the Agents of Change: Youth & Media for Responsible Business Practices initiative in Malaysia, under the UNDP Business and Human Rights in Asia portfolio, funded by the European Union. In this role, she supports youth and media actors to be engaged, empowered, and mobilized to call for stronger human rights conditions, inclusive economic growth, and environmental sustainability, aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).