Government support for Binding Rules for TNCs sought

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES– Civil society groups in the Philippines are urging the Philippine government to support a resolution filed by a group of countries led by Ecuador in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) calling for a legally binding treaty on human rights and transnational corporations.

In a letter addressed to Secretary Alberto Del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Ambassador Cecilia B. Rebong of the Philippine Permanent Mission in Geneva, the groups asked the government to “once again demonstrateleadership and commitment to human rights at the June 2014 UN Human Rights Council session by showing your support for a resolution that will seek to begin a process of developing an international treaty on business and human rights – the first binding international legal instrument to hold corporations accountable for their human rights violations.”

The groups recalled the support by the Philippines in 2011 as a member of the UNHCR for the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework” proposed by UN Special Representative John Ruggie.

The groups acknowledged the importance of the guiding principles also know as the ‘Ruggie Framework’ as it “affirmed the obligation and primary responsibility of the State to protect and promote human rights and recognized that corporations have the responsibility as well to respect human rights” but stressed the need at this time “to hold corporations accountable not only in the countries where they cause or contribute to violations, but also in other countries and internationally if required.”

They urged the Philippines to join the broad range of States who have already shown their support for progressing international law to address corporate human rights abuses, as shown during the September 2013 session of the Human Rights Council. Furthermore, they also asked that the Philippine government to “stand on the side of human rights against corporate human rights violations, and the associated impunity that is all too often to these abuses.”

The groups earlier met with Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales to get the support of Commission for their demands for both international and national level mechanisms to exact greater corporate accountability in light of specific cases of human rights violations particular in the extractive industry and mining sector. They are pushing for a dialogue with the DFA prior to the departure of the Philippine delegation to the upcoming UNHCR Session in June in Geneva.

A copy of the letter will also be personally delivered to Ambassador Rebong in Geneva by a delegation of labor leaders under NAGKAISA in June.#
Contact Nos:

Josua Mata
josua@apl.org.ph
+639177942431

Joseph Purugganan
josephp@focusweb.org
+639228299450

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