aporte oficial que Amigos de la Tierra Internacional (ATI) presentará a la segunda sesión del grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre las empresas transnacionales y otras empresas de negocios con respecto a los derechos humanos (IGWG)

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues for a legally binding UN Treaty that establishes civil and criminal liability for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives. The submission emphasizes the need for a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights to overcome national judicial weaknesses and the 'pattern of impunity' enjoyed by corporations. FoEI specifically calls for the primacy of human rights over investment treaties, the elimination of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that undermine public health and environmental policies, and the protection of the treaty negotiation process from corporate lobbying. The document supports these claims with case studies of corporate abuses in Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, and other regions.

• FoEI argues that the proposed UN Treaty must establish direct civil and criminal liability for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives to close existing legal gaps in international law, extending this responsibility to subsidiaries, subcontractors, and financiers within global supply chains.
• The submission proposes the creation of a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights as an international control mechanism. This court would investigate and judge TNCs, states, and international financial institutions, operating independently of UN executive bodies with legally binding decisions.
• FoEI asserts that human rights obligations must take hierarchical precedence over trade and investment treaties. It specifically recommends a 'hierarchy clause' and the prohibition of ISDS cases that undermine human rights, including environmental and health protections.
• The document highlights a 'pattern of impunity' where TNCs use weak national judicial systems to delay justice. Examples include Shell in Nigeria, where legal battles over oil spills and gas flaring have been delayed for decades, and Vale and BHP in Brazil, where an extrajudicial agreement was reached without including affected indigenous peoples and fishers.
• FoEI demands that the UN treaty negotiation process be protected from corporate capture and lobbying. It proposes prohibiting corporations from participating in decision-making processes regarding binding regulations and implementing strict ethical standards to prevent conflicts of interest.
• The submission emphasizes the need for states to fulfill Extraterritorial Obligations (ETOs), ensuring that their conduct does not facilitate corporate human rights abuses abroad and providing protection for environmental and human rights defenders.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2016). aporte oficial que Amigos de la Tierra Internacional (ATI) presentará a la segunda sesión del grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre las empresas transnacionales y otras empresas de negocios con respecto a los derechos humanos (IGWG). https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/19-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-Spanish.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. aporte oficial que Amigos de la Tierra Internacional (ATI) presentará a la segunda sesión del grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre las empresas transnacionales y otras empresas de negocios con respecto a los derechos humanos (IGWG). 2016. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/19-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-Spanish.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=aporte oficial que Amigos de la Tierra Internacional (ATI) presentará a la segunda sesión del grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre las empresas transnacionales y otras empresas de negocios con respecto a los derechos humanos (IGWG) |date=2016 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/19-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-Spanish.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2016aporte, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{aporte oficial que Amigos de la Tierra Internacional (ATI) presentará a la segunda sesión del grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre las empresas transnacionales y otras empresas de negocios con respecto a los derechos humanos (IGWG)}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/19-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-Spanish.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }