"Towards a legally binding instrument on Business and Human Rights", 2 Sep 2015

Today, a large, and constantly growing, coalition of civil society organisations from around the globe is calling for an internationally binding instrument...Why are we witnessing such a strong global call for a Treaty? And why is the Treaty important for victims of corporate abuse?...[G]overnments still largely rely on voluntary, non-binding approaches, while very little has been achieved in regards to state protection against human rights violations by businesses. Some major accountability gaps have not been addressed...A question is often raised: we have the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) do we really need a new global instrument?...[A] binding instrument is complementary with the much-needed and urgent governmental and corporate efforts to implement the UNGPs. And Treaty discussions should build on the progress made possible by the UNGPs and seek to overcome their inherent shortcomings and protection gaps, rather than be a substitute to their implementation in national and regional frameworks...