Closing oral statement

Thank you Madam Chair,

We are delivering this statement on behalf of the Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power, Stop Impunity and reclaim people’s sovereignty, an international network comprising over 200 organizations, social movements, trade unions and representatives of victims and affected communities from all around the world. The Global Campaign is also participating in the Treaty Alliance.

We would like first to congratulate you Madam Chair on your leadership and the flexibility and inclusiveness with which you have conducted this meeting, as well as to thank the OHCHR. This week we have experienced here a significant momentum in advancing the debates that will lead to a Binding Treaty, despite the several obstacles it faced in prior stages of this process. Many states, the public and more civil society organizations acknowledge now the importance of having a binding instrument to stop human rights violations that result from the activities of Transnational Corporations. The debate has been constructive, with many substantive and innovative contributions from the participating states, from the panelists and with ample opportunities for civil society to participate.

The Global Campaign has submitted six key submissions, with concrete proposals and demands for the legally binding instrument: on the obligations of TNCs, on Extra Territorial Obligations, an enforcement instrument, TNC responsibility in the global supply chain, the architecture of global corporate rule (IFIs, WTO & Trade and Investment Agreements) and the Rights of Affected Communities. These proposals were built from the grassroots and from the recommendations of social movements, trade unions, peasant’s organizations, women’s organizations, migrant networks and organizations representing victims and affected communities from all around the world.

And finally, Madam Chair,

We understand that we are now midway in this important process to build a UN Treaty and anticipate challenges as we head into the next stage of the journey in 2017. We have strong expectations in the success of this process and reaffirm our strong commitment to it, that means we´ll keep our mobilization high, here in Geneva, but in all our countries where the Campaign is present convinced that access to justice and remedy to affected communities will prevail over profits. As shown during the last 2 sessions, we trust on your capacity to protect this process from endue influence from businesses.

For decades, social movements and organizations have been demanding binding norms at the international level to end the impunity of TNCs. During this week we have been heartened to see the commitment to this challenging responsibility grow among States even as we have heard global civil society organizations re-assert their determination to intensify their work on the Binding Treaty.

We will be diligent in keeping the responsibility of building a robust Treaty on the agenda of our governments. Finally we will ensure that the voices of the affected communities, their determined resistance, and their urgent demand for access to justice are heard throughout the continuing process.

We would like to congratulate you once again Madam Chair for your leadership and assure you of the support of the millions of peoples in our social movements and organizations around the world.

October 2016