The issues of human rights & transnational corporations & other business enterprises are exceedingly important to women as consumers, employees, owners, citizens - Enforcing rights, preventing abuse & victimization, accessing justice.

State National Action Plans on Business & Human Rights

The UN Working Group strongly encourages all States to develop, enact and update a national action plan on business and human rights as part of the State responsibility to disseminate and implement the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/Submittingcomplaints.aspx

Website gives comprehensive details.

Submitting information on alleged human rights abuses or violations to the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises

Communications sent and replies received remain confidential until they are published in joint communications reports submitted to each regular session of the Human Rights Council (in March, June and September). In certain situations, including those of grave concern, the Working Group may issue a public statement earlier.

The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 26/22 encourages all States, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, treaty bodies and civil society actors, including non-governmental organizations, as well as public and private businesses to cooperate fully with the Working Group by responding to communications transmitted.

Communications of the Working Group deal with allegations in relation to cases involving or impacting on one or more individuals or a particular group. The Working Group also receives information related to concerns of a broader, structural nature, including related to laws, draft laws, or policies that may impact a large number of individuals.

Communications of the Working Group can take various forms including:

a) Urgent appeals which are used in cases where the alleged abuses or violations are time-sensitive in terms of involving loss of life, life-threatening situations or either imminent or ongoing damage of a very grave nature to victims that cannot be addressed in a timely manner by the procedure of allegation letters.

b) Allegation letters which are used to communicate information about abuses or violations that are said to have already occurred or in cases not covered by urgent appeals.

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http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/WGHRandtransnationalcorporationsandotherbusiness.aspx

UN Working Group on Human Rights & Transnational Corporations & Other Business Enterprises

In June 2011 at its seventeenth session, (in resolution A/HRC/17/4), the Human Rights Council decided to establish a Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, consisting of five independent experts, of balanced geographical representation.

It requested the Working Group:

• To promote the effective and comprehensive dissemination and implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework;

• To identify, exchange and promote good practices and lessons learned on the implementation of the Guiding Principles and to assess and make recommendations thereon and, in that context, to seek and receive information from all relevant sources, including Governments, transnational corporations and other business enterprises, national human rights institutions, civil society and rights-holders;

• To provide support for efforts to promote capacity-building and the use of the Guiding Principles, as well as, upon request, to provide advice and recommendations regarding the development of domestic legislation and policies relating to business and human rights;

• To conduct country visits and to respond promptly to invitations from States;

• To continue to explore options and make recommendations at the national, regional and international levels for enhancing access to effective remedies available to those whose human rights are affected by corporate activities, including those in conflict areas;

• To integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of the mandate and to give special attention to persons living in vulnerable situations, in particular children;

• To work in close cooperation and coordination with other relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council, relevant United Nations and other international bodies, the treaty bodies and regional human rights organizations;

• To develop a regular dialogue and discuss possible areas of cooperation with Governments and all relevant actors, including relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, in particular the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Global Compact, the International Labour Organization, the World Bank and its International Finance Corporation, the United Nations Development Programme and the International Organization for Migration, as well as transnational corporations and other business enterprises, national human rights institutions, representatives of indigenous peoples, civil society organizations and other regional and subregional international organizations;

• To guide the work of the Forum on Business and Human Rights;

• To report annually to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

In June 2014 at its twenty-sixth session (in resolution 26/22), the Human Rights Council decided to extend the Working Group's mandate for a period of three years.

Forum on Business and Human Rights

The annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights is the largest global gathering on business and human rights. It takes place in Geneva, Switzerland. The 2014 Forum was held from 1 to 3 December. The 2015 Forum will be held from 16 to 18 November 2015. It is open to States, business enterprises and associations, civil society organisations, trade unions, victims, academics, students, the media and any other relevant stakeholder. Please see the webpage of the Forum for further information.

Dates of the 2015 sessions of the Working Group

• 10th session: Geneva, 16-20 February 2015

• 11th session: Geneva, 4-8 May 2015

• 12th session: Geneva, 28 September-2 October 2015

GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON BUSINESS & HUMAN RIGHTS - UN

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/NationalActionPlans.aspx

Извор: WUNRN – 23.06.2015