Activists send questions to John Ruggie about the Global Compact

A network of activists and civil society organizations called Enlazando Alternativas has published a report that contains several interesting questions to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights, John Ruggie. The report provides an overview of human rights violations committed by European companies and discusses the role of European institutions in the creation of a legal framework that "allows transnational corporations to act with impunity". The authors of the report have specific questions about the role the UN Global Compact plays in the area of business and human rights:

- "What is the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations’ position on the proposal elaborated by the Rapporteur on Human Rights, Martin Scheinin, and the Rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, on the creation of a tribunal to judge transnational corporations? Do you believe that the economic and political fortress and the legal institutional framework that protect the interests of transnational corporations (the WTO and its Dispute Settlement System, the ICSID, regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements...) require a system of control that is far stronger than the one established by the Global Compact – that is, an international ad hoc tribunal?"
- "Why is the Global Compact the main reference for controlling transnational corporations within the UN framework?"

The Enlazando Alternativas network argues that the mandate of the UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights does not pay sufficient attention to those directly affected by the impacts of the activities of multinational corporations. The report of the network was prepared for a UN consultation on operationalizing the framework for business and human rights presented by John Ruggie. This consultation, which is being held in Geneva, ends today.

© Photo by UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferre.