"10th session of the Open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights," 16 December 2024

Joints NHRI Statement

Ahead of the 10th session of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (OEIGWG), the National Human Rights Institutions that form part of the Global Alliance of National Human rights Institutions (GANHRI) Working Group on Business and Human Rights (GANHRI Working Group) wish to reiterate their support for the negotiation process aimed at elaborating an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in accordance with international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises (hereby “LBI”). The LBI holds significant potential to address widely recognized protection gaps in global value chains, in particular those that are connected to transnational business activities.

The GANHRI Working Group welcomes the adoption by consensus of Decision A/HRC/56/116 by the Human Rights Council (HRC) at its 56th session in July 2024. Ten years after the adoption of Resolution A/HRC/26/9 establishing the OEIGWG, this procedural decision, which enhances its support capabilities, illustrates the OEIGWG’s effort to take the negotiations forward in a more concrete and effective way and highlights the support of many countries from different regions in this regard..

...

Being connected with sister institutions around the world, NHRIs also harbor the potential to monitor the human rights impacts of cross-border business activities along value and supply chains. In accordance with their respective mandates, they may also handle complaints of a transnational nature and facilitate access to effective remedies for rights-holders in such cases. Hence, NHRIs can also play a role in understanding the issues at stake in transnational cases of business-related human rights abuses, and in facilitating effective implementation of a future LBI.

The GANHRI Working Group therefore calls on States to draw on the expertise of NHRIs during the LBI negotiation process. Similarly, the GANHRI Working Group would like to draw the attention of States to the issue of implementation and monitoring of the LBI, both at the national and international level.