The UNHRC Inter-governmental Working Group (IGWG) has been given a mandate by UN members to develop a UN binding Treaty on TransNational Companies (TNCs) and Human Rights. The IGWG has had its first working session between 6-10 July in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity, an international network comprising over 200 social movements, networks, organizations, and representatives of victims and affected communities from all around the world has been following the developments. For the meeting they sent in a letter with proposals that was sent by many other CSOs as well including WIDE+.
The letter calls the legally binding international instrument to:
- must focus on TNCs.
- affirm the obligation of TNCs to respect all human rights.
- affirm the obligation of states to protect human rights from TNC violations and to codify their extra-territorial obligations.
- It must reaffirm the hierarchical superiority of human rights norms over trade and investment treaties and develop specific state obligations.
- It must establish the civil and criminal responsibility of TNCs and their executives, as well as the shared liability of TNCs for the activities of their subsidiaries, suppliers, licensees and subcontractors.
- It must include provisions on the obligations of international and regional financial and economic institutions.
- Mechanisms must be established at the international level to enforce the treaty and monitor its implementation.
- Negotiations must be protected from corporate capture.
More information: http://www.stopcorporateimpunity.org/
The letters: FINAL CAMPAIGN SUBMISSION EN, FINAL CAMPAIGN SUBMISSION ES
The Working Session was a success, but certainly not because of the EU’s contribution:
http://www.foei.org/news/key-human-rights-talks-endure-eu-obstruction
http://www.foei.org/news/historic-progress-towards-binding-treaty-business-human-rights
1 comment