PHM-Exch> PRESS RELEASE - States resume historic UN negotiations amidst growing consensus on the need for binding regulations on transnational corporations and human rights

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Sol Trumbo Vila <soltrumbovila at tni.org>

Please find below the press release issued by the Global Campaign today in
the context of the UN Binding Treaty negotiations.

It is published and available here:
https://www.stopcorporateimpunity.org/press-release-states-resume-historic-un-negotiations-amidst-growing-consensus-on-the-need-for-binding-regulations-on-transnational-corporations-and-human-rights/

And here in tweet:
https://twitter.com/StopTNCimpunity/status/1452694306930806788

Thank you for disseminating.


*PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

*States resume historic UN negotiations amidst growing consensus on the
need for binding regulations on transnational corporations and human rights*

25 October 2021, Geneva:

Today, United Nations member states resume negotiations in the seventh
session of the Open-ended intergovernmental working group (OEIGWG) mandated
to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in
international human rights law, the activities of transnational
corporations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Michele
Bachelet, opened the session remarking that the world is witnessing a
“growing consensus on the need of binding regulations on business and human
rights”.

Global South countries intervened in strong support of the Binding Treaty
process - South Africa, Namibia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines,
Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba and Palestine among others. For the first time
delegates from all major global economies shared their views on the Binding
Treaty process and content. All of which goes to show that after seven
rounds of negotiations states cannot ignore the urgent need for an
effective instrument such as the UN Binding Treaty.

The Ecuadorian Chair of the OEIGWG opened the seventh session by affirming that
the negotiations must be “State-led”, which raises concerns about how civil
society´s contributions will be included.

The continuous broad participation of communities affected by transnational
corporations’ activities, civil-society organisations, trade unions and
social movements makes it one of the most strongly supported processes in
the history of UN OEIGWGs. The Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples
Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity (Global Campaign)1,
representing 260 million people globally affected by Transnational
Corporations has, once again, a strong presence in Geneva providing vital
recommendations and critical analysis.

*Tchenna Masso*, from the Movement of Peoples Affected by Dams (MAB), La
Via Campesina and the Global Campaign, remarked during the opening session,
“Let me remind you of the basic problem that brings us together here. At
the heart of the matter is the fact that, although the human rights
violations committed by transnational corporations through their chains are
obvious, States are usually unable to punish the culprits or to make
reparations to the victims.”

*Ubrei-Joe Mariere*, from Friends of the Earth Africa spoke on behalf of
the Global Campaign, “The climate, biodiversity and Covid crises are
results of a socio-economic model that favours corporate profit over the
protection of human rights and the environment. Travel restrictions due to
the pandemic, unequal access to vaccines, financial barriers, digital
connectivity and differing time zones limit the participation of the Global
South, including States and affected peoples. For the Binding Treaty
negotiations to be inclusive and fair, we must ensure that civil society -
especially those most affected by the impunity of transnational
corporations - are able to follow, intervene and influence the direction of
the negotiations.”

*Mary Ann Bayang*, from the Indigenous Peoples Rights International in the
Philippines, declared that, “The peoples, citizens, affected communities
and social movements place great hope in the success of the process
initiated in this OEIGWG to bring transnational corporations under the law.
States also have an interest in the adoption of such a treaty that will
allow them to recover their lost sovereignty. It is in this spirit that the
Global Campaign has been engaged in the process of negotiating this Binding
Treaty. We note with great regret that the current draft treaty falls far
short of the OEIGWG’'s mandate. It is essential that this situation be
rectified and the process put back on track.”

Participants in the negotiations emphasized the urgent need for binding
regulations for Transnational Corporations in light of the Covid19 pandemic.

The *Brazilian AIDS Interdisciplinary Association*, member of the Global
Campaign said, “Adopting a Binding Treaty is urgently needed to bring
justice to people denied access to health technologies, and whose lives
have been taken away by corporate greed. The treaty must include the
primacy of Human Rights as a fundamental principle. Thus, interests
included in trade and investment agreements must be subordinated and
subjected to mandatory respect for Human Rights.”

A broad coalition of elected representatives, the *Global
Interparliamentary Network* <https://bindingtreaty.org/> (GIN) supporting
the UN Binding Treaty, also advocates for an ambitious and effective
legally binding instrument.

*Miguel Urbán*, Member of the European Parliament for The Left and member
of the Global Parliamentarian Network in support of the Binding Treaty
added, “The absence of clear and binding international norms for the
respect of human rights feeds the impunity and abuse of global corporate
power.”

The Global Campaign will be in Geneva all week working to ensure that its
proposals for the UN BInding Treaty are taken into account and included in
the current drafting process.

*NOTE TO EDITORS*

For further information or to arrange interviews you can contact:

*Sol Trumbo Vila*, Email: *soltrumbovila at tni.org <soltrumbovila at tni.org>*

*Julia García,* +55 71 9246-2696 Email:
facilitation at stopcorporateimpunity.org

The Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate
Power and Stop Impunity (Global Campaign) - a network of over 250 social
movements, civil society organisations (CSOs), trade unions and communities
affected by the activities of transnational corporations (TNCs),
representing 260 million people globally.

This round of negotiations is revising the third draft of the binding
treaty, published on August 17, 2021
<https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/WGTransCorp/Pages/IGWGOnTNC.aspx>,
which fits in the negotiation process started in 2014 with the adoption, by
the Human Rights Council, of Resolution 26/9. UN information on the Mandate
of the OEIGWG
<https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/WGTransCorp/Pages/IGWGOnTNC.aspx>

The global campaign published this statement in September 2021
<https://www.stopcorporateimpunity.org/comunicadotercerborradordeltratadovinculante/>
in response to the release of the third revised draft.

The Global Interparliamentary network in support of the Binding Treaty
<https://bindingtreaty.org/> <https://bindingtreaty.org/>is a global
network of National Parliaments and the European Parliament members
supporting the UN Binding Treaty.
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