Global: Unions push for global treaty

The global trade union movement continues to push for a United Nations legally-binding international treaty “to regulate the activities of transnational corporations”. The UN has set up an Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group to discuss how such an international instrument might be framed.

In a recent letter to the chair of the working group, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) set out what it would like to see in such a treaty:

• Broad scope: Coverage of all internationally recognised human rights, including fundamental workers’ and trade union rights.
• Comprehensive coverage: Inclusion of all business enterprises regardless of size, sector, operational context, ownership and structure.
• Extraterritorial regulation: a duty to regulate corporations and provide victims of transnational corporate human rights violations with access to justice in the home states of the corporations.
• Human rights due diligence: a mandate for businesses to adopt and apply human rights due diligence policies and procedures.
• Corporate accountability: the reaffirmation of the applicability of human rights obligations to corporate operations.
• International enforcement: the creation of a strong, international monitoring and enforcement mechanism.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Quote from Luc Triangle, ITUC General Secretary: 

"These negotiations are a critical opportunity to establish an international legal framework that addresses the power and impact of transnational corporations on the human rights of millions of working people."

“The international trade union movement will continue to actively participate in this process and will demand the strongest possible treaty language. We need a binding treaty that holds corporations accountable and ensures justice for working people affected by human rights violations, and we need it now."