RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE

This fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International advocates for a binding UN treaty to hold transnational corporations (TNCs) legally accountable for human rights and environmental abuses, citing specific disasters in Asia and Palestine where voluntary commitments failed.

• Since 2014, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has been developing a binding treaty to enforce rules on business and provide justice for victims of transnational corporations. The Inter Governmental Working Group (IGWG) held its first session in 2015 and its second session from 24 to 28 October 2016 in Geneva.
• In Indonesia, forest fires in 2015 destroyed more than 3 million hectares of land, caused over 500,000 respiratory diseases, and killed 23 people. Research by WALHI and Friends of the Earth groups linked these fires to palm oil and paper production by global companies Bumitama and Wilmar International, despite the companies' voluntary anti-deforestation policies.
• The ship breaking industry in South Asia, specifically in Bangladesh, causes severe environmental pollution through the leaching of PCBs and asbestos. The industry is marked by high mortality rates among workers, with an estimated 20% of the workforce being children under 15.
• In the Palestine occupied territories, the company Mekorot is accused of violating human rights by refusing water supply to some Palestinian communities and partnering with the Israeli military to destroy water supplies. In 2012, the Israeli army demolished 60 water and sanitation structures belonging to Palestinians.
• Between 2001 and 2011, the British multinational Reckitt Benckiser sold 453,000 bottles of a humidifier steriliser containing the hazardous chemical PHMG in South Korea. This resulted in 920 deaths and over 4,000 reported medical cases, with the company allegedly avoiding responsibility by exploiting the fact that European consumer product standards did not apply in Korea.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2016). RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/foe-corp-treaty-bookletASIA-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE. 2016. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/foe-corp-treaty-bookletASIA-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE |date=2016 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/foe-corp-treaty-bookletASIA-WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2016rules, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/foe-corp-treaty-bookletASIA-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }