A LAWMAKER on Wednesday called for a legally binding international treaty that would hold multinational corporations accountable for human rights and labor abuses, arguing that workers’ rights and environmental protection should take precedence over foreign business interests.
In a statement, Party-list Rep. Haima “Dadah” Kiram Ismula said during negotiations at the United Nations (UN) in Geneva that existing international trade and investment agreements often allow foreign corporations to protect their financial interests while victims of corporate abuses struggle to obtain justice.
“For the average Filipino, this fight at the UN is a matter of life, decent work, and justice,” Ms. Ismula said in Filipino.
She joined negotiations on the proposed UN Legally Binding Instrument on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights, representing civil society organizations, trade unions and affected communities through the Global Interparliamentary Network and CETIM.
Ms. Ismula criticized the use of Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms, which allow foreign investors to bring claims against governments under certain investment agreements. She warned that these mechanisms could discourage governments from implementing labor and environmental safeguards.
She said the current international system gives corporations stronger avenues to protect their investments than those available to workers and communities seeking redress for human rights violations.
The lawmaker called for international standards that would require human rights obligations to take precedence over trade and investment commitments. She also urged governments to ensure that existing and future economic agreements comply with binding human rights protections. — Pexcel John Bacon