Cross-cutting

A variety of approaches exists so far that attempt to ensure multinational enterprises’ compliance with human rights in all their business relationships. Workers’ representatives and their trade unions have agreed on more than 300 Global Framework Agreements with transnational corporations to strengthen workers' rights along global supply chains. Also, other corporate approaches such as CSR, social auditing and sector-specific approaches at national level have contributed to improved working conditions in particular in countries where there is only weak employee representation [...]

While the world is reeling in the second year under the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Global South finds itself subjected to the new form of global inequality enshrined in the patently flawed vaccine distribution strategy, a new initiative has been spearheaded by the EU leadership, and supported by the WHO Director General and a relatively small group of countries, to negotiate a pandemic treaty for the future pandemic preparedness and response.

The Geneva Global Health Hub [...]

Im Jahr 2014 erteilte der Menschenrechtsrat der Vereinten Nationen (UN) einer zwischenstaatlichen Arbeitsgruppe den Auftrag, ein internationales Abkommen zum Schutz von Menschenrechten im globalen Wirtschaftsverkehr zu entwerfen. Seitdem verhandelt die zwischenstaatliche Arbeitsgruppe aus Vertreter*innen von Regierungen jährlich über den aktuellen Stand des Entwurfs. Auch Vertreter*innen aus Zivilgesellschaft, Gewerkschaften und Wirtschaftsverbänden nehmen an den Tagungen teil. Der nun vorgelegte dritte überarbeitete Entwurf bildet die Grundlage für die Verhandlungen während der siebten Tagung der Arbeitsgruppe vom 25. bis 29. Oktober 2021 in [...]

This side-event at the UNCTAD XV Civil Society Forum discusses UNCTAD's work on debt crisis prevention and resolution. Participants are invited to identify UNCTAD's strengths and areas where there is room for growth, and express their expectations towards UNCTAD's work on debt on debt issues in the period following UNCTAD XV, an era in which global debt levels have reached record highs due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Participants: 

• Bodo Ellmers, Global Policy Forum (Moderator)
• Attiya Waris, UN Independent Expert [...]

WHAT: 

An event exploring corporate influence across the United Nations System, and identifying ways in which civil society and all actors can resist corporate influence with a view to build a more accountable and equitable system that operates in the interests of people and planet, rather than profit.

REGISTER: 

bit.ly/AccountabilityForCorporateSector 

INTERPRETATION: 

Available in French and Spanish

Corporate influence across the UN system manifests in many ways and these methods/means are increasing. From the introduction of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) [...]

Time to overcome contradictions and hypocrisy in the COVID-19 crisis

Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have greatly exacerbated national and global inequalities. Blatant examples are the unfair distribution of care work, relying mainly on women and poorly remunerated if at all, and the global disparity in the distribution of vaccines.

So far more than 60 percent of people in high-income countries have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but less than 2 percent [...]

Friday, 17 September 2021, 9:00-10:30am EDT

Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have exacerbated rather than reduced global inequalities. The most visible example of this is the global disparity in the distribution of vaccines.

So far more than 60 percent of people in high-income countries have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but less than 2 percent have done so in low-income countries. In view of this dramatic disparity, the "leave no one behind" [...]

Am 23. August 2021 hat der Internationale Währungsfonds (IWF) die lang ersehnte Ausschüttung von Sonderziehungsrechten (SZR) im Wert von 650 Milliarden US-Dollar vollzogen. Besonders für Länder im globalen Süden sind die SZR eine willkommene Finanzspritze. Im Gegensatz zu der EU und den USA mit ihren billionenschweren Konjunkturprogrammen, konnten Entwicklungsländer bislang nur wenige finanzielle Ressourcen gegen die Auswirkungen der Krise mobilisieren, und sind nicht zuletzt deshalb bei der Impfung ihrer Bevölkerung und dem nachhaltigen Wiederaufbau ihrer Wirtschaft ins Hintertreffen geraten. Die [...]

Ende 2016 beschloss die deutsche Bundesregierung den ersten Nationalen Aktionsplan Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte (NAP) – einen Plan zur Umsetzung der UN-Leitprinzipien für Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte in Deutschland. Terminiert war der Plan bis 2020 – er ist also mittlerweile ausgelaufen. Das heißt allerdings nicht, dass auch wirklich alle Vorhaben aus dem Aktionsplan bereits umgesetzt wären.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically demonstrated just how close the link is between humans, animals, and the environment, and has highlighted and aggravated existing challenges. The destruction of natural habitats and displacement of species, trade in wild animals, resource-intensive lifestyles and conditions, non-sustainable food systems and, in particular, industrial agriculture and intensive livestock farming are the causes of the emergence of zoonoses as well as numerous other communicable and non-communicable, chronic diseases.

The One Health approach focuses precisely on such [...]