RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE

The guide highlights corporate human rights abuses in Asia—including land grabs in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, coal power threats to mangroves in Bangladesh, and nuclear risks in Russia and Palestine—to advocate for a UN Binding Treaty on Transnational Corporations. It calls for an enforceable legal mechanism, international grievance systems, and accountability for global supply chains and international finance.

• There is a significant gap in international law regarding human rights abuses caused by the cross-border activities of corporations, as companies often operate across different national jurisdictions to avoid accountability.
• In Malaysia, global supply chains for palm oil and timber drive land rights violations, including the displacement of the Orang Asli indigenous community in Ulu Kelantan through logging, mining, and plantation activities.
• The 1,320 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Project in Rampal, Bangladesh, financed by the Exim Bank of India, threatens the Sundarbans mangrove forest, which supports 6 million people and acts as a natural barrier against climate change effects like floods and cyclones.
• In Sri Lanka, a US$152 million public-private sugarcane project in Dehigama-Rideemaliyadda involves the leasing of over 18,000 ha of land for 99 years, threatening local biodiversity and the water table.
• The Russian state-owned corporation Rosatom exports nuclear technology and reimports hazardous waste, contributing to risks in Russia and abroad, such as the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh.
• Research indicates that radiation from Israel's nuclear activities, including the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center and suspected waste dumping, has caused high levels of Caesium-137 in the Hebron Governorate of the West Bank, leading to cancer and severe birth disabilities.
• Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific demands that the UN Binding Treaty include an enforceable legal mechanism for an international court, accountability for global supply chains and international finance, and an international grievance mechanism for affected people.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2018). RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/APAC_leaflet_FINALE_spread.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE. 2018. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/APAC_leaflet_FINALE_spread.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE |date=October 2018 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/APAC_leaflet_FINALE_spread.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2018rules, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{RULES FOR BUSINESS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/APAC_leaflet_FINALE_spread.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }