economic justice resisting neoliberalism

The proposal argues that existing national and international legal mechanisms are insufficient to hold multinational corporations accountable due to corporate complexity, state collusion, and the non-binding nature of current guidelines. It advocates for a permanent, itinerant international tribunal with broad jurisdiction over parent companies and their supply chains, featuring a reversed burden of proof and cost-free access for victims. The document includes a detailed draft statute for the 'International Tribunal on Multinationals, Other Enterprises and Human Rights' (TIMEDH), emphasizing complementarity with national courts and the use of class actions to secure reparations for affected communities.

• Existing legal frameworks are ineffective at holding multinationals accountable because companies use complex economic structures to avoid responsibility, and victims often face corrupted or subservient national judiciaries in southern countries.
• Current international guidelines, such as the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and OECD Guidelines, lack binding enforcement mechanisms, resulting in very few cases of actual compensation for victims.
• The proposed International Tribunal on Multinationals, Other Enterprises and Human Rights (TIMEDH) would be a permanent body headquartered in a southern state, with the ability to hold mobile sessions globally to increase accessibility for victims.
• To overcome evidentiary hurdles, the tribunal would shift the burden of proof to the accused corporations, requiring them to demonstrate they did not commit the alleged violations.
• The tribunal's jurisdiction would extend beyond local subsidiaries to include parent companies, branch offices, and other entities within the supply chain under the parent company's control.
• The proposal advocates for cost-free justice for victims, suggesting that the tribunal's operating expenses be funded by a tax on the profits of multinational corporations.

APA

Koagne, A., Lemos, A., Mendes, E., Moise, M., & Lokumu, L. (2018). economic justice resisting neoliberalism. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Foei_Africa_english_FINALE_spread.pdf

Chicago

Koagne, Apollin, Anabela Lemos, Erika Mendes, Mbimbe Moise, and Louise Lokumu. economic justice resisting neoliberalism. Friends of the Earth International, 2018. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Foei_Africa_english_FINALE_spread.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Koagne |first1=Apollin |last2=Lemos |first2=Anabela |last3=Mendes |first3=Erika |last4=Moise |first4=Mbimbe |last5=Lokumu |first5=Louise |title=economic justice resisting neoliberalism |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=October 2018 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Foei_Africa_english_FINALE_spread.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{koagne2018economic, author = {Koagne, Apollin and Lemos, Anabela and Mendes, Erika and Moise, Mbimbe and Lokumu, Louise}, title = {{economic justice resisting neoliberalism}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Foei_Africa_english_FINALE_spread.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }