Corporate accountability Companies operating in the EU should be legally accountable for any harm they cause to people and the environment, anywhere in the world

Multilateral Investment Court: Changing the book cover doesn’t change the story

7 November 2018

Last week, governments met at the United Nations in Vienna to discuss potential changes to the ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Settlement) system. This parallel justice system, benefitting multinationals and elite corporate lawyers, has been widely criticised around the world for its damaging impacts on the environment, on democracy and on public budgets.

26 October 2018

The EU's deafening silence on a treaty against corporate human rights violations

Last week, 94 countries negotiated at the UN in Geneva the draft text for a binding treaty on business and human rights. The aim of this treaty is to stop human rights violations by transnational corporations and to give victims globally fair access to justice. You would expect the European Union (EU) to play a leading role in this process - but the EU and member states chose to remain silent.

15 October 2018

The EU's track record of putting profit over people

This week, world leaders will meet at the United Nations in Geneva to negotiate  a historic international treaty to ensure companies respect human rights and the environment in their global operations – the UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights. Representatives of the European Union will be attending the opening and closing session, but will not participating in discussions on the content of the treaty text. Why this abstention when we are talking about protecting people's rights against damaging corporations, about giving victims of corporate abuse access to justice?

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Multinational companies affect the lives of people and the environment all over the world. In many countries, the victims of the harm they cause do not have access to justice.

 

Friends of the Earth Europe calls on policy-makers in Europe to hold European companies legally accountable for any harm they do around the world, and to participate in the UN process for a binding treaty for businesses in relation to human rights.

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Reports & publications

Democracy under attack
26 Nov 2018

Democracy under Attack - A call for Action

cover EU double agenda on globalisation
15 Oct 2018

The EU’s double agenda on globalisation: Corporate rights vs people’s rights

More reports & publications

For enquiries please contact:

  • Paul de Clerck
  • Ike Teuling
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