Policy paper

Global solutions to global problems: Why EU legislation and a UN instrument on corporate accountability must be complementary

Policy paper
2021

Too often business activities of EU and non-EU companies cause or contribute to human rights violations and environmental destruction. Upcoming EU legislation is meant to tackle this issue but is not all encompassing.

We need an additional international binding instrument that regulates the behaviour of corporations in international human rights law. The Treaty that’s currently negotiated at the UN would be a step forward in closing the judicial void and avoiding a complex and uneven patchwork of standards and rules.

This briefing argues that regional and global instruments are both needed and should complement each other, ensure effective prevention and guarantee robust enforcement, liability and access to justice for affected people.

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