NGOs ask the OECD for strict rules to hold companies accountable for rights violations
Signatories defend that States should adopt measures that can assure that companies are held accountable for abuse committed along their value chains
Photo: Patrick Janicek/ Creative Commons )
In an open letter, an international coalition of civil society organizations made a disclosure asking countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to move forward in the adoption of binding rules to hold multinational corporations accountable for human rights violations and environmental damages. The document was articulated by the Forest Peoples Programme and the OECD Watch and will be presented to the OECD Task Force on Responsible Environmental Conduct. Conectas is among the signatory organizations.
In the letter, the entities defend that the States should adopt measures capable of assuring that companies are held accountable for abuse perpetrated along their value chains and that affected companies have effective access to justice and reparation.
The main demands presented to the OECD Task Force include:
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- the adoption and fulfillment of binding measures that hold multinational corporations accountable for individual and collective violations of human rights and for environmental destruction;
- the assurance of effective reparation mechanisms for affected peoples and communities;
- the alignment of OECD Directives with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and international human rights case law;
- respect to the right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of indigenous peoples and other traditional communities;
- the realization of significant consultations with indigenous peoples, forest peoples, and other rightsholders in the formulation of policies on responsible business conduct.
The document also warns of the increase of violence against human rights defenders and communities affected by major developments, particularly in the context of mining expansion, energy transition, and other projects that put pressure on traditional territories without proper safeguards.
