Contribución por escrito de Amigos de la Tierra Internacional al grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre empresas transnacionales y otras empresas en materia de derechos humanos

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues that the 'Zero Draft' presented by Ecuador for the UN binding treaty on transnational corporations (TNCs) is too weak to end corporate impunity. FoEI advocates for the treaty to establish direct legal obligations for TNCs, prioritize human rights over trade and investment agreements, and create an international tribunal for corporate human rights violations. The document criticizes the European Union for its lack of substantive participation and warns against 'corporate capture' of the negotiation process, emphasizing the need for a gender perspective and the protection of human rights defenders.

• The 'Zero Draft' of the treaty is considered insufficient and lacks a section on essential principles, failing to establish the supremacy of human rights over commercial and investment treaties.
• FoEI argues that the treaty must impose direct legal obligations on transnational corporations (TNCs) rather than relying solely on state obligations or voluntary frameworks like the UN Guiding Principles.
• The document identifies a failure in the Zero Draft to adequately address 'value chains' or global production chains, lacking provisions for the responsibility of subcontractors and the link between companies and their subsidiaries.
• FoEI recommends the creation of a permanent, independent, and itinerant international tribunal to judge human rights violations committed by TNCs, as national courts are often ineffective.
• The European Union is criticized for its 'unproductive' attitude, including its unilateral withdrawal from the 4th session's conclusions and its preference for voluntary guidelines over binding regulations.
• There is a significant concern regarding 'corporate capture' of the treaty process, with reports that the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) threatened Southern states with trade reprisals for supporting the binding treaty.
• The document emphasizes that the treaty must include a gender perspective and specific protections for human rights and environmental defenders, which are currently missing from the Zero Draft.
• FoEI proposes replacing the concept of 'due diligence' with a 'duty of care' (inspired by French law), which requires the effective implementation and evaluation of preventive measures and the obligation to indemnify victims.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2019). Contribución por escrito de Amigos de la Tierra Internacional al grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre empresas transnacionales y otras empresas en materia de derechos humanos. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Foei_Submission_2018_spanish_pages.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Contribución por escrito de Amigos de la Tierra Internacional al grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre empresas transnacionales y otras empresas en materia de derechos humanos. 2019. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Foei_Submission_2018_spanish_pages.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Contribución por escrito de Amigos de la Tierra Internacional al grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre empresas transnacionales y otras empresas en materia de derechos humanos |date=June 2019 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Foei_Submission_2018_spanish_pages.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternational2019contribucin, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Contribución por escrito de Amigos de la Tierra Internacional al grupo de trabajo intergubernamental de composición abierta sobre empresas transnacionales y otras empresas en materia de derechos humanos}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Foei_Submission_2018_spanish_pages.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }