A Peoples Treaty proposal for Binding Obligations on TNCs highlighted in series of events
The call for a Peoples Treaty on Binding Obligations on Transnational Corporations has been highlighted internationally in a series of activities during the past weeks.
The historic petition led by the Ecuadorian government at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday, September 13th, marks a departure from reliance on voluntary mechanisms that have marked the corporate social responsibility debate and which have facilitated systematic corporate impunity. The petition, supported by the African Group, the Arab Group, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, emphasizes that the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 2011 non-binding “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights” will remain without consequence unless legally binding instruments create a framework for states to regulate and sanction the often illegal actions of Transnational Corporations.
During the Round Table entitled “Challenging Corporate Power – Investments and impunity in an era of crisis – What alternatives? - Towards a Peopleś Treaty”, held in the European Parliament (EP) on September 5th, Gabi Zimmer, President of the GUE/NGL group committed to explore the setting up a WorkGroup in the EP to pursue the agenda of Binding Obligations for TNCs. Likewise during a Public Forum held in Medellin (August 28-30) on the occasion of the UN Business & Human Rights Latin America regional consultation affected communities impacted by TNC operations issued a Statement underlining the failure of existing voluntary codes of Corporate Social Responsibility to end Corp[orate impunity and deliver justice to those whose human rights and livelihoods and environments are destroyed by corporate crimes.
These activities have been organised by the the Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity (launched in June 2012), which has brought together communities affected by corporate violations, social movements, civil society organizations and legal experts to collectively create a Peoples’ Treaty that will propose binding obligations on Transnational Corporations and create an international body to judge and sanction them.
* Round Table at European Parliament on September 5th on the theme: “Challenging corporate power-Investment and impunity in an era of crisis - What alternatives? Towards An International Peoples’ Treaty” was convened to debate the proposal to build an People’s International Treaty as an important strategy towards ending corporate impunity.
* Communiqué on activities in Brussels, September 5th to 8th, 2013
* Interview with Juan Hernandez on the Round Table and the Peopleś Treaty.
* Historic call from Ecuador and numerous Nation States for the United Nations to implement binding regulations on Transnational Corporations.
About the authors
Brid Brennan
Brid has put Transnational Institute at the heart of dynamic international networks from every continent campaigning against trade liberalisation. She is co-founder of the European Solidarity Centre for the Philippines and most recently, RESPECT, a Europe-wide anti-racist network for migrant domestic workers.
Recent publications from Corporate Power
Impunity Inc.Forty years after Salvador Allende denounced corporate power at the United Nations General Assembly (December 1972), millions of people all over the world are involved in struggles against the human rights violations and the social and environmental injustice generated by transnational corporations. |
A Landmark Victory for Justice: Biowatch’s Battle with the South African State and MonsantoPublished by Biowatch South Africa, this is a book about access to information, the right to know, and action in the public’s interest – a must-read for anyone campaigning for environmental or social justice. |
State of Power 2013As the world's most powerful corporate leaders and richest individuals gather at the exclusive World Economic Forum in Davos, TNI offers a visual insight into who is dominating the planet at a time of systemic economic and ecological crisis. |
Transnational Capital vs People's ResistanceHow does transnational capital function? Where does it operate? What globalised logic does it follow? What is the magnitude of its abuses and its social, economic and environmental irresponsibility? And what challenge do we see emerge for us, the people?
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