Mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the Issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises

A/HRC/RES/8/7View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, published in 2008.

What subjects does this mandate have?

19 subjects

Business Enterprises Business Ethics Civil Society Community Grievance Mechanisms Consultations Coordination Within UN System Corporate Social Responsibility Human Rights Human Rights Violations Inter-Agency Cooperation International Organizations Legal Remedies Non-Governmental Organizations Private Sector Public-Private Partnerships Regional Organizations Special Rapporteurs Standards of Conduct Transnational Corporations

What’s in this document?

17 operative paragraphs

Welcomes the reports of the Special Representative and in particular the identification, through the process of consultations, studies and analysis, of a framework based on three overarching principles of the State duty to protect all human rights from abuses by, or involving, transnational corporations and other business enterprises, the corporate responsibility to respect all human rights, and the need for access to effective remedies, including through appropriate judicial or non-judicial mechanisms;

Recognizes the need to operationalize this framework with a view to providing more effective protection to individuals and communities against human rights abuses by, or involving, transnational corporations and other business enterprises, and to contribute to the consolidation of existing relevant norms and standards and any future initiatives, such as a relevant, comprehensive international framework;

Welcomes the broad range of activities undertaken by the Special Representative in the fulfilment of his mandate, including in particular the comprehensive, transparent and inclusive consultations conducted with relevant and interested actors in all regions;

Decides to extend the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises for a period of three years, and requests the Special Representative:

To provide views and concrete practical recommendations on ways to strengthen the fulfilment of the duty of the State to protect all human rights from abuses by or involving transnational corporations and other business enterprises, including through international cooperation;

To elaborate further on the scope and content of the corporate responsibility to respect all human rights and to provide concrete guidance to business and other stakeholders;

To explore options and make recommendations, at the national, regional and international level, for enhancing access to effective remedies available to those whose human rights are impacted by corporate activities;

To integrate a gender perspective throughout his work and to give special attention to persons belonging to vulnerable groups, in particular children;

Identify, exchange and promote best practices and lessons learned on the issue of transnational corporations and other business enterprises, in coordination with the efforts of the human rights working group of the Global Compact;

To work in close coordination with United Nations and other relevant international bodies, offices, departments and specialized agencies, and in particular with other special procedures of the Council;

To promote the framework and to continue to consult on the issues covered by the mandate on an ongoing basis with all stakeholders, including States, national human rights institutions, international and regional organizations, transnational corporations and other business enterprises, and civil society, including academics, employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations, indigenous and other affected communities and non-governmental organizations, including through joint meetings;

To report annually to the Council and the General Assembly;

Encourages all Governments, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, treaty bodies, civil society actors, including non-governmental organizations, as well as the private sector to cooperate fully with the Special Representative in the fulfilment of his mandate, inter alia, through the submission of comments and suggestions on the issues related to his mandate;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize, within the framework of the Council, a two-day consultation bringing together the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, States, business representatives and all relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and representatives of victims of corporate abuse, in order to discuss ways and means to operationalize the framework, and to submit a report on the meeting to the Council, in accordance with its programme of work;

Invites international and regional organizations to seek the views of the Special Representative when formulating or developing relevant policies and instruments;

Requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide all the necessary assistance to the Special Representative for the effective fulfilment of his mandate;

Decides to continue consideration of this question in conformity with the annual programme of work of the Council.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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