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at the UN

Human Rights

Briefings, Economic justice, Sustainable development, social justice and sustainable peace

Social Protection: Hot Topic but Contested Agenda

By Barbara Adams and Karen Judd
Social protection has surfaced to the top of multiple agendas, from human rights to the promotion of economic growth, from decent work to economic, social and gender equality. Its champions, particularly at the global level, include a host of different players, with different priorities, institutions and policy streams, all competing to define the concept and own the discourse. Read more…

Corporate Influence, Economic justice, Publications

New Position Paper: Toward global Regulation on Human Rights and Business

Trade and investment protection agreements facilitate business enterprises’ access to markets and raw materials, and protect investor interests with enforceable rights. Although human rights are a cornerstone of international law, so far there are only voluntary guidelines to safeguard them within the activities of global enterprises. This needs to change; human rights need a mandatory commitment. This is where the “UN treaty process” comes in. It offers the chance for binding international regulation of global business: Since 2015, an intergovernmental working group has been negotiating an international human rights treaty that is binding for the contractual parties, outlines clear rules for business enterprises and strengthens access to justice for affected parties. The Treaty Alliance Germany – a coalition of organizations supporting such an approach – have formulated demands in a new position paper. Read more…

Articles, Corporate Influence

Event: Corporate Accountability and Influence in the UN

The panel will assess the state of corporate influence in the business and human rights debates, in global health, the agriculture, food and nutrition policy domains. It will discuss possible policies and safeguards such as WHO’s Framework of Engagement with non-State Actors (FENSA) and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that have been put in place to protect against conflicts of interest in these respective domains. It will also inform about further debates to regulate the UN’s engagement with private actors such as the discussions in the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR). Read more …

Articles, Economic justice

Lost in indicators: How the “experts” are rewriting the SDGs

Roberto Bissio, Social Watch

Almost one third of the targets that define the 17 Sustainable Development Goals approved by the governments at the UN are being de facto rewritten or deleted by the Inter-Agency Expert Group proposal of “priority indicators” published June 1 in New York. Important notions included in the SDGs such as labour rights, women rights to property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources and many commitments of developed countries to support the efforts of developing countries are excluded from the proposed list of indicators and would therefore not form part of the UN reviews of the new development agenda. Read more…

Articles, Economic justice

Financial Integrity and Transparency in the Post-2015 Agenda

by Hubert René Schillinger, FES Geneva

In this contribution to a session on “From Millenium to Sustainable Development Goals: Is transparency the key to unlocking our human potential?” at the GFI/FES Conference on “Financial Transparency and Human Rights” Hubert Schillinger does not elaborate on the positive impact of more financial transparency and the curbing of illicit financial flows for the realization of the new set of global goals. Rather, he a) looks at the role financial integrity and transparency is playing so far in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and b) makes some suggestions as to how this framework could be harnessed further to promote the agenda for financial justice and the curbing of illicit financial flows. Read more…

People-centered Multilateralism, Round Up

Statement of the national human rights councils and ombudsmen

The Open Working Group has produced a bold and comprehensive set of goals and targets that, if realized, will greatly enhance the protection and fulfillment of human rights and lay strong foundations for a life in freedom and dignity for current and future generations.The International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (ICC) fully supports these goals and the compelling vision for their realization put forward by the UN Secretary General in his synthesis report. As National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) established by Member States to protect and promote human rights we encourage Member States to adopt a follow-up and review mechanism that ensures accountability for the commitments made. Read more…

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