“OECD Watch statement urging OECD action on the COVID-19 crisis”, 9th April 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis deeply impacting men and women’s rights to health, livelihood and dignity, particularly for vulnerable workers in supply chains and communities impacted by major development projects. While the virus has underscored the duty of states to raise public awareness and protect public health, it has also highlighted the responsibility of corporations to respect human rights in how they address both the public health and economic impacts of the crisis. Many of the communities and workers that are most vulnerable to the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 play a vital role in the supply chains that feed and sustain the OECD member and adherent states…

The COVID-19 crisis offers governments the chance to forge a sustainable future that is more resilient to crises like pandemics by developing new regulations to help businesses prioritize the public good over centralized profits. Several initiatives to strengthen RBC are already under active discussion around the world, including adoption of national, regional, and international mandatory human rights due diligence laws; closure of corporate tax loopholes; improvement of supply chain transparency; and reinstatement of limitations on certain financial transactions to promote the flow of profits back into national economies…