Aktuelles zum UN-Treaty (GPF) - Archiv

More than a decade after the establishment of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group (OEIGWG) on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, negotiations have reached a decisive point.

The insights of legal experts and the intersessional consultations have contributed to a deeper understanding of the current draft text and different States’ proposals. The upcoming period presents an opportunity to identify pathways towards greater convergence, while safeguarding the mandate to elaborate a legally binding instrument and ensuring [...]

There are countless cases in which economic activities lead to human rights abuses and violations. For those affected, it’s often difficult to get justice – particularly in cases that involve translational companies. This is precisely where the current negotiations on a UN Treaty on business and human rights come in: They aim to close legal loopholes and hold companies accountable.

Since their introduction in 2024, the thematic consultations have given the negotiations a significant momentum. The legal experts – who [...]

From October 20–24, 2025, 63 states came together at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council to negotiate an international, legally binding instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises (also known as the “UN Treaty”). Since the adoption of Resolution 26/9 by the UN Human Rights Council in 2014, the intergovernmental working group mandated to draft such an agreement already has met eleven times.

From October 20 to 24, 2025, negotiations on a legally binding instrument on business and human rights will take place in Geneva (11th session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group (OEIGWG) on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights).

The UN treaty aims to establish binding rules for companies to respect human rights and provide better access to justice for
victims of human rights violations. If adopted, it will pave the way for comprehensive legislation to [...]

 

We have just launched our four-part weekly podcast series 'Global Finance Rewired', which explores the future of the international finance architecture (IFA). Hosted by our Managing Director Bodo Ellmers, the series features expert voices from the Global South to examine how global finance must change to meet today’s challenges.

Episodes

1. Tax justice and the UN Tax Convention
   Chenai C. Mukumba (Tax Justice Network Africa) offers insights into the new Convention’s potential to curb illicit flows and usher in [...]

From 30 June to 3 July 2025, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) took place in Sevilla, Spain. According to the United Nations (UN) Member States, the conference was designed to assess progress and obstacles in implementing the decisions of the three previous conferences in Monterrey (2002), Doha (2008) and Addis Ababa (2015), as well as agreeing on measures and initiatives to overcome the obstacles and address new challenges in light of current global crises. The main [...]

The process towards a legally binding instrument on business and human rights (also known as the “UN Treaty”) has now been underway for a decade. The initiative is based on the realisation that the activities of transnationally operating companies are not sufficiently regulated under human rights law. The transnational nature of these companies, their economic power and unilaterally formulated investment protection agreements often make it difficult to hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable and to provide victims with [...]

On Friday, the 20th of September, the Chair of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights published a letter announcing the postponement of the 10th session. 

As a reaction civil society sent a letter to the Mission of Ecuador, rejecting this decision: 

 

Geneva, 24 September 2024

Open letter to the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva, Chairpersonship of the [...]

Public Statement of Civil Society, Social Movements, trade unions and Indigenous Peoples on the Procedural Decision

56th Session of the Human Rights Council – Geneva, 25.06.2024

We, the organizations, movements, trade unions, and Indigenous Peoples members of the Treaty Alliance, the Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity, the Feminists for the Binding Treaty, the ESCR-Net and the Young Friends of the Treaty, remind the Member States of the Human Rights Council of the systematic [...]

From October 23 to 27, 2023, 76 states met at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council to negotiate an international human rights treaty to regulate companies and their value chains (also known as the “UN Treaty”). Since the UN Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 26/9 in 2014 and mandated an intergovernmental working group to draft such legally binding instrument, it has met nine times. After a slow start, the process has emerged surprisingly stronger from the ninth round of [...]

In spring 2023, guidelines for a feminist foreign and development policy were presented to the German Federal Cabinet. An international treaty on business and human rights, as negotiated in the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council since 2014, would address the discriminatory global power structures and structural causes of global inequality and contribute to a systemic change in the sense of a feminist foreign and development policy. Women and marginalized groups are particularly affected by exploitative business practices in global [...]

The European Union (EU) is on the verge of introducing an EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). An agreement among the EU institutions involved is to be reached by the end of 2023. This also brings the EU’s active participation in negotiations at the United Nations (UN) level on an international legally binding instrument on business and human rights, also known as a “UN treaty,” ever closer. After all, it is in the EU’s interest that high standards apply [...]

Since 2014, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Coun­cil in Geneva has been negotiating an internationally binding agreement on business and human rights – also known as the UN Treaty. From October 24–28, 2022, the intergovernmental working group on a legally binding in­strument on transnational corporations and other busi­ness enterprises with respect to human rights (OEIGWG) met for the eighth time. The countries of the global South as well as the major industrialized nations were present at the meeting. New [...]

Since 2014, an intergovernmental working group at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva has been negotiating an international binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises - also known as the UN Treaty. The eighth of the responsible intergovernmental working group took place from October 24 to 28, 2022. From the countries of the global South to the major industrialized nations, all states were present.

The global trend towards [...]

Thank you Mr. Chair!

I am speaking on behalf of Brot für die Welt, FIAN Germany, MISEREOR, Women Engage for a Common Future and Global Policy Forum and as coordinator of the Treaty Alliance Germany, an alliance of twenty-eight civil society organizations in Germany.

Today we celebrate UN Day and the Charter and the Declaration of Human Rights – giving special impetus for this week of negotiations.

For us, this process towards a legally binding instrument is complementary to [...]

SIDE EVENT TO THE 8^th SESSION ON THE UN TREATY ON BUSINESS & HUMAN RIGHTS

Trade Union Rights in the Treaty and the Role of Trade Unions for its Effective Implementation

In many countries, trade unionists face repressions and are unlawfully prevented from representing workers' interests: Freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining as well as the right to strike are in many cases denied to workers and trade unionists all over the world.  According to the ITUC [...]

From October 25-29, 2021, the UN open-ended intergovernmental working group on the elaboration of a legally binding instrument on Business and Human Rights met for the seventh time at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva. Two developments provided a new dynamic compared to previous sessions. For the first time since the intergovernmental working group’s establishment in 2014, the United States and Japan participated in its meeting. Germany expressed its views for the first time. In addition, the [...]

In 2014, the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UN) mandated an intergovernmental working group to draft an international treaty for the protection of human rights in the global economy. Since then, the intergovernmental working group, which consists of governments, representatives of civil societies and business, has been meeting annually to negotiate the current status of the draft. The third revised draft constitutes the basis for negotiations during the seventh meeting of the working group from October 25 to [...]

From October 26 to 30, 2020, the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (OEIGWG) met for the sixth time at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva. The discussions were based on the second revised draft presented by the Ecuadorian Chair of the working group in August 2020. The session was overshadowed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was held in a hybrid format, i.e. with [...]

Berlin, September 2020

In June 2014, the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UNHRC) mandated an intergovernmental working group (Resolution 26/9) to develop an interna-tional instrument to regulate the activities of transnational and other corporations. The aim of the process is to close the legal gaps in the protection of human rights in the global economy that have emerged in the course of globali-zation. So far, in five rounds of negotiations, governments, legal experts and representatives of civil society [...]

Berlin, September 2020

In June 2014, the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UNHRC) mandated an intergovernmental working group (Resolution 26/9) to develop an interna-tional instrument to regulate the activities of transnational and other corporations. The aim of the process is to close the legal gaps in the protection of human rights in the global economy that have emerged in the course of globali-zation. So far, in five rounds of negotiations, governments, legal experts and representatives of civil society [...]