Statements

Details: Created: 24 November 2022

[Image: Mustafa Yalçın - Anadolu Agency]

The African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA) and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria participated in the 8^th session of the negotiations for a legally binding instrument on business and human rights. The session was held in Geneva from the 24^th to the 28^th of October 2022 at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland.

The negotiations are an integral part of both the ACCA and CHR’s work around corporate accountability and business and human rights issues. There is indeed a growing recognition by all stakeholders of the need for a treaty that regulates issues of human rights affected and/or perpetuated by businesses, particularly those of a transnational character, and as such the treaty negotiations are key to this goal.

Details: Created: 20 October 2022

We, the African CSOs, commend the African Union and partners for successfully convening the Inaugural African Business and Human Rights Forum. We appreciate that the Forum brought together various participants from the continent and beyond, who have an interest in the attainment of human rights in the context of business operations, including governments, international and regional organisations, civil society actors, private sector, academicians and communities affected by business activities among others. The forum was a welcomed space to interrogate emerging business and human rights and corporate accountability issues on the continent, ranging from extractives, mandatory human rights due diligence frameworks, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, access to effective remedy, responsible business conduct and the role of State and human rights institutions in the business and human rights arena. It was also an opportunity for civil society actors to underscore the gaps and challenges of the UNGPs and the need for a legally binding instrument on business and human rights. Members noted that the continent was still lagging behind other regions in efforts to advance the business and human rights agenda, and as such reiterated the need for moral imperative, commitment and meaningful stakeholder engagement; collaboration, development of National Action Plans (NAPs) and legislation on issues of business and human rights.