<div dir="ltr">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Susana Barria</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sbarria@phmovement.org">sbarria@phmovement.org</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><br><div dir="auto"><div><div dir="auto">More information will follow. Spanish version is also available on the website: <a href="http://www.stopcorporateimpunity.org" target="_blank">www.stopcorporateimpunity.org</a></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><b><span lang="EN-GB">PRESS RELEASE</span></b><span lang="EN-US"></span><blockquote class="m_-5056686792675431999quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div class="gmail_quote"><div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY TRANSNATIONAL
CORPORATIONS ALERT TO THE BLOCKING OF
THE UN BINDING TREATY TO PROTECT THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS</span></b><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Geneva, October 27 - More than 200 delegates
from more than 80 countries
representing social movements, trade unions, and global civil
society,</span><span lang="EN-GB">(1)</span><span lang="EN-GB"> including
communities affected by the human rights violations of
transnational
corporations are actively involved this week in the third
session of the
open-ended intergovernmental working group for the elaboration
of an
International Legally Binding Instrument on Transnational
Corporations (TNCs)
and other Business Enterprises with respect to human rights.</span><a name="m_-5056686792675431999_m_7697578392201294453_m_4184522846558966496__ftnref1"><span lang="EN-GB">(</span></a><span lang="EN-GB">2)</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">The process of drawing up a binding treaty is
underway due to the will of
those affected by the violations to arm themselves with an
international legal
instrument to defend themselves, as well as through the
acknowledgment of
several governments that a treaty is necessary to stop the
growing imbalance
between human rights and the actions of TNCs. Ninety-five
countries were
present at this week's talks, a remarkable number for such an
intergovernmental
working group. In addition, members of parliaments from more
than 20 countries
and the European Parliament,</span><span lang="EN-GB">(3)</span><span lang="EN-GB"> as well as more than
700 civil society organizations have indicated official support
for the
process.</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Pablo Fajardo, representative of the Union of
People Affected by Chevron,
recalled that "the victims of corporate crimes, which occur
worldwide, are
witnesses that today most violations of human rights are by
transnational
corporations. The binding treaty is a real and practical tool to
protect people
from the violation of their human rights. "</span><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Tchenna Maso, from La Via Campesina, affirmed
that “all governments that
oppose the creation of this instrument not only go against
history, but clearly
act complicit with the violations of TNCs. We draw particular
attention to the
position of the European Union which is obstructing the process.
Hiding behind
a supposed internal inertia of its member States, the EU is in
fact aiming to
definitively stop the process. We call on governments from other
regions to
come together to resist the pressure from the EU, and stand up
for their
people.”</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Mary Ann Manahan, World March of
Women-Philippines, stressed that “social
organizations will continue to respond to crimes against
affected communities
and territories as a result of TNC activities and will continue
to mobilize for
the elaboration of a draft treaty in advance of the fourth
session of the
intergovernmental working group.”</span><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Karin Nansen, chair of Friends of the Earth
International said: "We
look forward to the draft text of the treaty to be presented by
the
Chair-Rapporteur of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working
Group in 2018, and
will continue to bring forward the peoples’ demand for a legally
binding treaty
to achieve justice for the victims in accordance with Resolution
26/9. Taking
into account the interest expressed in several national
parliaments, such as
France, Spain and Uruguay, among others, the debate should be
broadened and
strengthened. Parliamentarians from other countries must join
the
process."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">NOTE TO EDITORS</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">(1) This Press release is
from the Global
Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate
Power and Stop
Impunity (Global Campaign), a network of over 200 social
movements and affected
communities resisting land grabs, extractive mining,
exploitative wages and
environmental destruction, particularly in Africa, Asia and
Latin America.
Website: <a class="m_-5056686792675431999m_7697578392201294453m_4184522846558966496moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.stopcorporateimpunity.org/" target="_blank">https://www.stopcorporateimpun<wbr>ity.org/</a><span>
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">(2) This mandate is a result
of resolution
26/9 adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2014.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span> </span>(3)
For the list of signatories of the Interparliamentary initiative
for a UN
Binding Treaty on transnational corporations with respect to
human rights see
<a class="m_-5056686792675431999m_7697578392201294453m_4184522846558966496moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://bindingtreaty.org/" target="_blank">http://bindingtreaty.org/</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">PRESS
CONTACT</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">To arrange interviews or
further
information</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Sol Trumbo Vila (English,
Spanish)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><a class="m_-5056686792675431999m_7697578392201294453m_4184522846558966496moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:soltrumbovila@tni.org" target="_blank">soltrumbovila@tni.org</a></span></p><br></div></div>
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