The Business and Human Rights Treaty in 2020–The Draft is “Negotiation-Ready”, but are States Ready?

"BHR Symposium: The Business and Human Rights Treaty in 2020–The Draft is “Negotiation-Ready”, but are States Ready?", 8 September 2020.

The Second Revised Draft (2020 Draft) marks an important step in negotiating a business and human rights (BHR) treaty. In comparison to the Zero Draft and the Revised Draft (2019 Draft), the 2020 Draf...is more cohesive...is better aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)...attempts to strike a fairer balance between competing interests of states, businesses and civil society organisations (CSOs)...

Because of these and other reasons, the 2020 Draft is more politically feasible without unduly compromising the desirable normative trajectory of the proposed treaty. In this blog, I will analyse selected provisions of the 2020 Draft and assess their suitability to achieve the “four objectives” that a BHR treaty should aim to accomplish in my view.

Scope...

Rights of victims and states’ obligations...

Prevention and legal liability...

Removing barriers to remedy...

Human rights compatibility of trade and investment agreements...

Overall assessment vis-à-vis the “four objectives” The 2020 Draft has the potential to push states to adopt mandatory HRDD legislation, remove barriers to access to remedy, and reform trade and investment agreements. However, it should be strengthened to deal with what I call “hard cases”: where there is no clear business case for respecting human rights and the concerned states are unwilling or incapable to perform their duty to protect against human rights abuses by enterprises...While the Zero Draft was “on the right track, but not ready yet” and the 2019 Draft made some progress, the 2020 Draft is “negotiation-ready”. But are states, especially the European Union because of its commitment for mandatory HRDD, ready?...

Chronologie

6th session of the IGWG dedicated to negotiations on the Second Revised Draft

Date:

26 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Position Paper of the Global Campaign on the Second Revised Draft

Date:

24 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
ESCR-Net Collective Submission on the Second Revised Draft

Date:

23 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
ESCR-Net Advocacy Paper on the Second Revised Draft Treaty

Date:

21 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Contribution de la CIDSE à la 6ème session onusienne sur le projet de traité contraignant

Date:

20 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

La CIDSE accueille avec satisfaction le deuxième projet révisé, pour sa cohérence du projet avec les principes directeurs des Nations unies relatifs aux entreprises et aux droits de l’homme (PDNU), mais souligne qu'il reste des domaines dans lesquels des améliorations sont possibles, dont notamment: le renversement de la charge de la preuve, les sanctions administratives en cas d'abus et les mesures spécifiques pour veiller à ce que les accords de commerce et d’investissement ne compromettent pas les ambitions du traité.
Position paper from the German Institute for Human Rights on the Second Revised Draft

Date:

20 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Réflections de la FIDH sur le deuxième projet révisé du traité contraignant

Date:

20 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Cette publication résume les principales réflexions de la FIDH sur le texte et souligne certains des défis essentiels qui subsistent dans le projet actuel. La FIDH note que le texte tient compte de certains des commentaires formulés par les organisations de la société civile lors de la dernière session de négociation. En revanche, pour que le traité permette réellement une avancée significative dans la protection des droits de l'homme contre les abus des entreprises, le texte actuel présente encore plusieurs lacunes importantes qui doivent être comblées.
Consultation des jeunes sur le draft 2 du traité des Nations Unies sur les activités des multinationales et les droits de l'Homme à l'Institut des Relations Internationales du Cameroun

Date:

19 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

En prélude à l’adoption du 2e draft du Traité des Nations Unies sur les activités des multinationales et des droits de l’Homme, un atelier a été organisé le 30 septembre à l‘Institut des Relations Internationales du Cameroun (IRIC) sise à Yaoundé par l’Association Action pour le Développement Communautaire (ADC), le mouvement Young Friends of the Treaty (YouFT) et l’Amicale des étudiants de la 5e Promotion du Master CA2D. Des jeunes d’horizons divers notamment des leaders de la société civile, des chercheurs et étudiants ont pris part à cette consultation dont l’objectif était de recueillir les avis des jeunes sur ce deuxième projet.
OHCHR submission on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Date:

19 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
France : Avis de suivi de la Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme sur le projet de traité contraignant

Date:

16 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

La CNCDH a examiné le second projet révisé d’instrument publié en août 2020. La Commission souligne les améliorations apportées quant au champ d’application du projet d’instrument ainsi qu’à son articulation avec le droit international et les droits nationaux, mais attire l’attention sur l’affaiblissement de la formulation de l’obligation de vigilance.
Analysis: Major changes introduced by the Second Revised Draft

Date:

14 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Sixth session of the OEIGWG: instructions for registration & remote participation

Date:

9 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Commentary: The binding treaty needs to acknowledge trade unions as being an integral part of HRDD processes

Date:

8 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Joint trade union statement on the Second Revised Draft

Date:

8 Oct 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Statement of the Treaty Alliance Germany on the Second Revised Draft

Date:

30 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Commentary: Second Revised Draft offers hope for a UN binding treaty on business and human rights

Date:

22 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Commentary: The Second Revised Draft keeps human rights due diligence & legal liability separate, rightly so

Date:

21 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Commentary: A binding treaty on business & human rights could ensure greater respect of the right to health by private actors in the health sector

Date:

14 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Aligning Internal and External Policies on Business and Human Rights – Why the EU Should Engage Seriously with the Development of the Legally Binding Instrument

Date:

11 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Commentary: The Second Revised Draft cannot deliver what is needed; alernative approaches need to be considered

Date:

11 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Bolstering Human Rights within International Economic Agreements–Reconciling Two ‘Separate Regimes’?

Date:

10 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
The Business and Human Rights Treaty and Private International Law

Date:

9 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Business and Human Rights in Armed Conflicts—Exclusion of Corporate International Criminal Liability from the Second Revised Draft

Date:

8 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
The Business and Human Rights Treaty in 2020–The Draft is “Negotiation-Ready”, but are States Ready?

Date:

8 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Commentary: Scholar analyses how Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty addresses global supply chains

Date:

7 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
The 2nd Revised Draft of a Treaty on Business and Human Rights–Moving (Slowly) in the Right Direction

Date:

7 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Commentary: The proposed Binding Treaty on business and human rights needs to focus on the obligations of TNCs

Date:

1 Sep 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
ESCR-Net Statement on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Date:

31 Aoû 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Global Campaign Statement on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Date:

27 Aoû 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English, español
Commentary: New Binding Treaty draft provides companies a glimpse into the future of legal liability for human rights abuses

Date:

24 Aoû 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English
Statement from FIDH and Franciscans International on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Date:

10 Aoû 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English, 日本語
Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Date:

6 Aoû 2020

Type de contenu:

Article

Langues disponibles: English

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The Business and Human Rights Treaty in 2020–The Draft is “Negotiation-Ready”, but are States Ready?

Chronologie

6th session of the IGWG dedicated to negotiations on the Second Revised Draft

Position Paper of the Global Campaign on the Second Revised Draft

ESCR-Net Collective Submission on the Second Revised Draft

ESCR-Net Advocacy Paper on the Second Revised Draft Treaty

Contribution de la CIDSE à la 6ème session onusienne sur le projet de traité contraignant

Position paper from the German Institute for Human Rights on the Second Revised Draft

Réflections de la FIDH sur le deuxième projet révisé du traité contraignant

Consultation des jeunes sur le draft 2 du traité des Nations Unies sur les activités des multinationales et les droits de l'Homme à l'Institut des Relations Internationales du Cameroun

OHCHR submission on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

France : Avis de suivi de la Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme sur le projet de traité contraignant

Analysis: Major changes introduced by the Second Revised Draft

Sixth session of the OEIGWG: instructions for registration & remote participation

Commentary: The binding treaty needs to acknowledge trade unions as being an integral part of HRDD processes

Joint trade union statement on the Second Revised Draft

Statement of the Treaty Alliance Germany on the Second Revised Draft

Commentary: Second Revised Draft offers hope for a UN binding treaty on business and human rights

Commentary: The Second Revised Draft keeps human rights due diligence & legal liability separate, rightly so

Commentary: A binding treaty on business & human rights could ensure greater respect of the right to health by private actors in the health sector

Aligning Internal and External Policies on Business and Human Rights – Why the EU Should Engage Seriously with the Development of the Legally Binding Instrument

Commentary: The Second Revised Draft cannot deliver what is needed; alernative approaches need to be considered

Bolstering Human Rights within International Economic Agreements–Reconciling Two ‘Separate Regimes’?

The Business and Human Rights Treaty and Private International Law

Business and Human Rights in Armed Conflicts—Exclusion of Corporate International Criminal Liability from the Second Revised Draft

The Business and Human Rights Treaty in 2020–The Draft is “Negotiation-Ready”, but are States Ready?

Commentary: Scholar analyses how Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty addresses global supply chains

The 2nd Revised Draft of a Treaty on Business and Human Rights–Moving (Slowly) in the Right Direction

Commentary: The proposed Binding Treaty on business and human rights needs to focus on the obligations of TNCs

ESCR-Net Statement on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Global Campaign Statement on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Commentary: New Binding Treaty draft provides companies a glimpse into the future of legal liability for human rights abuses

Statement from FIDH and Franciscans International on the Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty

Second Revised Draft of the Binding Treaty