Currently 40 countries have adopted at least one National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP). In 2013, the United Kingdom became the first country to adopt an NAP; the Netherlands followed in the same year. In the years after that, there was a significant increase in adoptions. Several countries have since published further NAPs. Most recently, Ghana introduced a National Action Plan in July 2025 and Malaysia followed in August 2025. Japan published a substantially revised version of its National Action Plan at the end of 2025, which entered into force in 2026.
Those companies and countries that actively participate in and benefit from world trade are exactly the ones that bear a special responsibility for implementing the UN Guiding Principles.
The European Union has so far established measures in various policy frameworks to implement the UN Guiding Principles, including the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy and the European Consensus on Development.
These countries have already adopted a NAP:
Argentina
- Start of the process:
- 2022
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Argentina
- Year adopted:
- 2023
Belgium
- Start of the process:
- 2014
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan for "Business and Human rRghts" 2.0
- Year adopted:
- 2017
Chile
- Start of the process:
- 2015
- Link to the original document:
- National action plan on business and human rights Chile
- Year adopted:
- 2017
Colombia
- Start of the process:
- 2017
- Link to the original document:
- Plan de Accion de Derechos Humanos y Empresa
- Year adopted:
- 2020
Czech Republic
- Start of the process:
- 2015
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2017
Denmark
- Start of the process:
- 2012
- Link to the original document:
- Danish National Action Plan
- Year adopted:
- 2014
Finland
- Start of the process:
- 2013
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2014
France
- Start of the process:
- 2013
- Link to the original document:
- National action plan for the implementation of the United Nations guiding principles on business and human rights
- Year adopted:
- 2017
Georgia
- Start of the process:
- 2013
- Link to the original document:
- Action Plan of the Government of Georgia on the Protection of Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2014
Germany
- Start of the process:
- 2014
- Link to the original document:
- Nationaler Aktionsplan – Umsetzung der VN-Leitprinzipien für Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte
- Year adopted:
- 2016
Ghana
- Start of the process:
- 2022
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Ghana
- Year adopted:
- 2025
Indonesia
- Start of the process:
- 2017
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Indonesia
- Year adopted:
- 2023
Ireland
- Start of the process:
- 2014
- Link to the original document:
- National plan on business and human rights
- Year adopted:
- 2017
Italy
- Start of the process:
- 2015
- Link to the original document:
- Italian National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2016
Japan
- Start of the process:
- 2018
- Link to the original document:
- Japan - National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2020
Kenya
- Start of the process:
- 2016
- Link to the original document:
- Republic of Kenya - National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2019
Kyrgyzstan
- Start of the process:
- 2022
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Kyrgyzstan
- Year adopted:
- 2025
Liberia
- Start of the process:
- 2018
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Liberia
- Year adopted:
- 2024
Lithuania
- Start of the process:
- 2013
- Link to the original document:
- Lithuania's Action Plan on the implementation of the United Nations guiding principles on business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2015
Luxembourg
- Start of the process:
- 2017
- Link to the original document:
- Plan d’action national du Luxembourg
- Year adopted:
- 2018
Malaysia
- Start of the process:
- 2021
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Malaysia
- Year adopted:
- 2025
Mongolia
- Start of the process:
- 2019
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Mongolia
- Year adopted:
- 2023
Nepal
- Start of the process:
- 2020
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Nepal
- Year adopted:
- 2024
Netherlands
- Start of the process:
- 2012
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan on Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2013
Nigeria
- Start of the process:
- 2016
- Link to the original document:
- NAP Nigeria
- Year adopted:
- 2024
Norway
- Start of the process:
- 2013
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles
- Year adopted:
- 2015
Pakistan
- Start of the process:
- 2019
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2021
Peru
- Start of the process:
- 2018
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2021
Poland
- Start of the process:
- 2015
- Link to the original document:
- Polish National Action Plan for the Implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020
- Year adopted:
- 2017
Slovenia
- Start of the process:
- 2017
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan of the Republic of Slovenia on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2018
South Korea
- Start of the process:
- 2016
- Link to the original document:
- The 3rd National Action Plan (NAP) for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Republic of Korea 2018 to 2022 (unofficial extract)
- Year adopted:
- 2018
Spain
- Start of the process:
- 2013
- Link to the original document:
- National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2017
Sweden
- Start of the process:
- 2013
- Link to the original document:
- Action plan for business and human rights
- Link to the follow up report:
- Follow-up of Sweden’s action plan for business and human rights
- Year adopted:
- 2015
Switzerland
- Start of the process:
- 2012
- Link to the original document:
- Report on the Swiss strategy for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2016
Taiwan
- Start of the process:
- 2019
- Link to original document:
- Taiwan National Action Plan on Business & Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2020
Thailand
- Start of the process:
- 2016
- Link to original document:
- Thailand's 1st National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2019
Uganda
- Start of the process:
- 2016
- Link to original document:
- NAP Uganda
- Year adopted:
- 2021
United Kingdom
- Start of the process:
- 2012
- Link to the original document:
- Good Business – Implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
- Year adopted:
- 2013
USA
- Start of the process:
- 2014
- Link to the original document:
- United States Government National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct
- Year adopted:
- 2016
Vietnam
- Start of the process:
- 2018
- Link to the original document:
- Decision on Issuing the National Action Plan for Law and Policy Improvement to Promote Responsible Business Practices in Viet Nam
- Year adopted:
- 2023
Eight countries are currently developing a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP).