"Leadership from the Global South drives UN negotiations to end corporate impunity", 24 October 2025

The Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples’ Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity (Global Campaign) brought the voices of social movements, civil society organisations, trade unions and communities affected by the activities of transnational corporations, reminding negotiators of the lives at stake with these negotiations.

Pierre Maison from La Via Campesina: “The Binding Treaty must break from the failed model of corporate self-regulation and establish clear, enforceable obligations for transnational corporations. We have been advocating for years that this Treaty must create an international tribunal where TNCs will be held accountable for their human rights violations. In this session, for the first time, states like Colombia, Mozambique and Palestine have also supported the proposal.”

Leticia Paranhos from Friends of the Earth Brazil/International: “One of our priorities here is preventing corporate interests from watering down the treaty through false solutions like corporate voluntarism… we will be present at the climate COP30, opposing false solutions from corporations and building real solutions at the Peoples’ Summit, solutions that put life and people at the center.”

Antonio Salvador from the Asian Task Force on the Binding Treaty: “...Lowering the treaty’s standards to attract those who have historically resisted any binding obligation… would not strengthen the process; it would betray it… Global South countries are ready to lead the transformation of the international law system. It will start by making TNCs accountable for their human rights violations.”

State delegations maintain a strong presence… with over 60 countries participating this year...

Grace Tepula / Zakithi Sibandze / Precious Shonga / Lungisa Huna from the Rural Women’s Assembly: “...TNCs steal our seeds, criminalize us for sharing and multiplying them, poison our lands, and destroy our rivers and biodiversity… the presence of corporate organizations like the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in this process is an obscene conflict of interest.”

The week ended with the unanimous approval of the concluding recommendations by the Chair Rapporteur from the state of Ecuador… including three intersessional thematic consultations and the 12th session in October 2026 to advance the discussion on the key articles of the future treaty...