FIDH, that welcomed the historic discussions on a binding treaty on business and human rights taking place at the UN, is actively participating in the IGWG’s first session from 6 to 10 July. The FIDH delegation includes FIDH Vice-President and Senior Staff Attorney at FIDH member organisation the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) Katherine Gallagher, and FIDH representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS) and member of at FIDH member organisation the Colectivo de Abogados "José Alvear Restrepo" (CAJAR)’s board Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas.
A written submission was presented and published prior to the IGWG’s first session, presenting recommendations regarding the substance of an international instrument as well as regarding the treaty-development process.
The programme of work adopted by the IGWG on the first day of the session plans for 8 different panels, during which FIDH is making oral interventions from the floor.
Panel I: Implementation of the UN Guiding Principles: A Renewed Commitment by All States.
Panel II: Principles for an International Legally Binding Instrument on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and other Business Enterprises with respect to human rights.
Panel III: Scope: Coverage of the Instrument: TNCs and other Business Enterprises: concepts and legal nature in International Law.
Read FIDH’s oral statement.
Panel IV: Scope: Human rights to be covered under the Instrument with respect to activities of TNCs and other business enterprises.
Read FIDH’s oral statement (in Spanish)
Panel V: Content: Obligations of States to guarantee the Respect of Human Rights by TNCs and other business enterprises, including extraterritorial obligations.
Read FIDH’s oral statement.
Panel VI: Content: Enhancing the responsibility of TNCs and other business enterprises to respect human rights, including prevention, mitigation and remediation.
Read FIDH’s oral statement.
Panel VII: Content: Legal liability of TNCs and other business enterprises: What
standard for corporate legal liability and for what conduct?
Read FIDH’s oral statement
Panel VIII: Content: Building National and international mechanisms for access to remedy, including international judicial cooperation, with respect to human rights violations by TNCs and other business enterprises.
Read FIDH’s oral statement.
FIDH co-organised a side event with ESCR-Net to discuss CSO’s opportunity to participate in and influence the treaty-development process. It was also an occasion to present civil society organisations’ perspectives on a binding treaty, particularly those expressed during the Asia-Pacific regional consultation organised in Thailand in May 2015 in the framework of FIDH and ESCR-Net’s joint Treaty Initiative and summarised under the unity statement that Asia-Pacfic CSOs developped during the meeting. This paralel event gathered civil society representatives from around the world including Asia, Africa and Ecuador, and international legal experts including members of the Treaty Initiative’s Expert Legal Group (ELG).
Discussions in the IGWG can be followed live on the UN Web TV.
For live information on FIDH’s participation at the IGWG, follow @fidh_un on Twitter.