official contribution of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) to the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises with respect to Human Rights (IGWG)

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) advocates for a binding UN Treaty to end corporate impunity. The proposal emphasizes the need for direct legal obligations for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives, the creation of a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights, and the primacy of human rights over investment treaties. FoEI highlights systemic failures in national courts and the harmful impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, calling for a process free from corporate lobbying that prioritizes the rights of affected communities and environmental defenders.

• The proposed UN Treaty must establish direct civil and criminal responsibility for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives, extending to subsidiaries and all entities in global supply chains, including financiers.
• FoEI proposes the creation of a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights to investigate and judge complaints against corporations, states, and financial institutions, operating independently from UN executive bodies.
• The treaty should ensure that human rights frameworks hold hierarchical superiority over trade and investment agreements, specifically to prevent Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms from undermining public health and environmental policies.
• The document argues that the UN Treaty process must be protected from corporate capture and lobbying, suggesting a ban on corporations participating in the decision-making process for binding regulations.
• The treaty must address the cumulative impacts of corporate operations, including historic responsibility for climate change and repeated environmental crimes, and provide penalties such as the revocation of operational permits.
• States must reinforce their Extra Territorial Obligations (ETOs) to protect victims and Environmental and Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs), ensuring that home countries are accountable for the actions of their corporations and financiers abroad.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2016). official contribution of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) to the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises with respect to Human Rights (IGWG). https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/21-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-English.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. official contribution of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) to the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises with respect to Human Rights (IGWG). 2016. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/21-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-English.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=official contribution of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) to the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises with respect to Human Rights (IGWG) |date=2016 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/21-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-English.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2016official, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{official contribution of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) to the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises with respect to Human Rights (IGWG)}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/21-UN-Treaty-TNCs-submission-English.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }