WUNRN
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, HUMAN
RIGHTS, & WOMEN
WOMEN are often the victims of
corporate human rights violations such as in the garment factories of
Bangladesh, the evictions by mining companies, the environmental pollution by
factories that damages health, privatization as of water resulting in less
availability and higher costs, the inadequate leverage in labor contracts and
benefits, the abuse of women human rights defenders advocating for community
rights over corporate interests. As women are the majority of the undereducated
and poor, they often, especially in developing countries, do not have the
sophisticated actions, or money for high paid lawyers, or payoffs as to
governments for vested interests. They may be silenced, threatened. Biofuels
and other corporate driven projects may destroy their sustainable food
production. Poverty may (even illegally) result in child (girls)
labor and subsequent dropping out of
school. Some corporations are increasingly attentive to human rights. But the
advertising and public relations messages may be very different from
the realities at the
grassroots level for women. There
are encouraging efforts to advocate for human rights principles,
accountability, and actions by businesses and corporations. But, in an
increasingly globalized world, if we
follow the power, privilege, and
profit, we still have to struggle for corporate respect and policies for
women's human rights.
----- Original Message -----
From: WUNRN
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To: WUNRN ListServe
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2014 9:23 PM
Subject: UN 2 Resolutions on Transnational Corporations & Other
Businesses & Human Rights + Working Group
WUNRN
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 2
RESOLUTIONS ON TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS & OTHER BUSINESSES & HUMAN
RIGHTS
The
Human Rights Council Session 26 has adopted two resolutions on the topic of
business and human rights. One Resolution (shown first
below) led by Ecuador and South Africa,
establishes an inter-governmental process to begin the development of a
treaty 'to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of
transnational corporations and other business enterprises'. That resolution was
adopted by 20 votes to 14 (with 13 abstentions). The other Resolution (shown
second below), led by Norway, Argentina,
Ghana and Russia, focuses on national implementation of the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights, renewing the mandate of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, and
examining ways in which to enhance access to justice for victims of corporate
violations.
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FOR FULL 4-PAGE RESOLUTION,
SCOLL DOWN ABOVE LINK TO A/HRC/26/L.1, (Second Page of Resolutions) and then
CLICK ON UN LANGUAGE TRANSLATION DESIRED.
If
needed, right click mouse and then click OPEN to access Full Resolution.
_____________________________________________________
FOR FULL RESOLUTION, SCOLL DOWN
ABOVE LINK TO 9TH RESOLUTION LISTED, and then CLICK ON UN LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
DESIRED.
If needed, right click mouse and
then click OPEN to access Full Resolution.
"Elaboration of an
international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and
other business enterprises with respect to human rights"
Working Group Mandate Renewal
In a resolution (A/HRC/26/L.22/Rev.1)
on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises,
the Human Rights Council called on all business enterprises to meet their
responsibility to respect human rights consistent with the United Nations
Guiding Principles.
Page 1 of FULL 2 PAGE RESOLUTION.
See above link notes to access FULL RESOLUTION.
_____________________________________________________
UN
Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and
other business enterprises
Overview
At its seventeenth session, in resolution A/HRC/17/4, the Human Rights Council decided to establish a Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, consisting of five independent experts, of balanced geographical representation, for a period of three years, and requested the Working Group:
- To promote the effective and comprehensive
dissemination and implementation of the Guiding Principles
on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations
“Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework;
- To identify, exchange and promote good practices and
lessons learned on the implementation of the Guiding Principles and to
assess and make recommendations thereon and, in that context, to seek and
receive information from all relevant sources, including Governments,
transnational corporations and other business enterprises, national human
rights institutions, civil society and rights-holders;
- To provide support for efforts to promote
capacity-building and the use of the Guiding Principles, as well as, upon
request, to provide advice and recommendations regarding the development
of domestic legislation and policies relating to business and human
rights;
- To conduct country visits and to respond promptly to
invitations from States;
- To continue to explore options and make recommendations
at the national, regional and international levels for enhancing access to
effective remedies available to those whose human rights are affected by
corporate activities, including those in conflict areas;
- To integrate a gender perspective throughout the work
of the mandate and to give special attention to persons living in
vulnerable situations, in particular children;
- To work in close cooperation and coordination with
other relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council, relevant
United Nations and other international bodies, the treaty bodies and
regional human rights organizations;
- To develop a regular dialogue and discuss possible
areas of cooperation with Governments and all relevant actors, including
relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds and
programmes, in particular the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the Global Compact, the International
Labour Organization, the World Bank and its International Finance
Corporation, the United Nations Development Programme and the
International Organization for Migration, as well as transnational
corporations and other business enterprises, national human rights
institutions, representatives of indigenous peoples, civil society
organizations and other regional and subregional international
organizations;
- To guide the work of the Forum on Business and Human
Rights;
- To report annually to the Human Rights Council and the
General Assembly.
Forum on Business
and Human Rights
Please see the webpage of the Forum for further information
Dates of the 2014
sessions of the Working Group
- 7th session: Geneva, 17-21 February 2014
- 8th session: Geneva, 5-9 May 2014
- 9th session: Geneva, 24-28 November 2014
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