FoEI has welcomed resolution 26/09 at the 26th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2014, which calls for an international legally binding instrument on TNCs and other business enterprises with respect to Human Rights (hereafter referred to as UN Treaty).

Ever since, we have engaged in the process , advocating proposals within national and regional coalitions as well the international Treaty Alliance and the global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power. Hereby we outline the essential components that we believe are needed for a binding UN Treaty to bridge the historic gaps in the international Humans Rights’ system, provide access to victims and bring corporations to justice. Our arguments are based on concrete experiences from member groups across our federation.

They demonstrate a pattern of impunity for TNCs, of which operations result in environmental crimes and systemic Human Rights violations. They highlight how victims and Environmental and Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) suffer the cumulative impacts of this pattern and make the case for the process to put victims and EHRDs at the centre of the process. We call for this second IGWG session to allow further in-depth discussions on concrete provisions and mechanisms in a future Treaty and for UN member states to act and engage constructively.