Impunity Made in Europe

CETIM and its partners have been part of an important research for the future of the process in view of the drafting of a binding Treaty on multinationals. This document is based on a specific perspective, from the Old Continent.

“The EU and the corporate impunity nexus. Building the UN binding treaty on transnational corporations and human rights” is a report that begins with an historical narrative explaining the infiltration of multinationals into the UN system. Then, the report shows that the arguments of the European Union and of the lobbies of the private sector against standards aiming at regulating the activities of multinationals are the same, stubbornly defending the voluntary norms that have shown their inefficiency, in the ultimate goal of the sabotage of any attempt to go forward in the direction of binding rules. The report also contains a series of case studies contradicting with concrete examples the affirmation that European companies are more “green” and “responsible”.

In this document, Raffaele Morgantini (CETIM) explains that “the lobbying of the private sector has always played a central role against the attempts to develop binding legal standards on TNCs, which is seen as a threat to their commercial interests and to profit maximisation. Thus, this phenomenon is now an integral part of the United Nations system. The strategy employed by TNCs and theirs lobbies can be divided into two main components : the delegitimization of the process for the treaty and the use of pressure, blackmail and/or threats against States. We must oppose this destructive trend and take back control of the United Nations system : the future of democracy and social justice is at stake.”

You will find the full document here.