During the Interactive Dialogue on Transnational Corporations at the United Nations Human Rights Council session on June 6 in Geneva, Switzerland, Peace Brigades International expressed “its concerns about violence in business investment contexts in Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia.”
The full statement is as follows:
“In Colombia, we continue to observe serious human rights violations, such as forced disappearances, killings and other violence in the context of corporate investments. This is occurring alarmingly in Putumayo, Magdalena Medio, Urabá and Buenaventura. There is an urgent need for a robust legal framework on business and human rights that prioritizes the protection of rights and their defenders.
In Guatemala, in the context of national and international business investments, PBI observes multiple violations, such as the lack of consultation with indigenous communities, insufficient environmental impact studies, extractive work with expired licenses, defamation and attacks on defenders, and the absence of reparation measures.
In Honduras, progress is urgently needed in the justice process for communities affected by extractive projects. COPINH highlights the importance of the Supreme Court confirming the sentences of the perpetrators of the murder of defender Berta Cáceres and the individual sentences in the “Fraud on the Gualcarque” case. In the Guapinol case, it is essential to comply with Decree 18-2024 and respect the communities’ right to consultation.
The Guiding Principles, being voluntary, do not impose obligations on companies or investors. The working group, in its report, highlights the need for a legislative framework to regulate investors. PBI, as part of the Global Campaign, emphasizes the need for a binding international instrument according to resolution 26/9, which establishes effective mechanisms of legal accountability for transnationals and access to justice for affected communities.”
The video of this intervention can be seen here.
Published by Brent Patterson on