Sisters of Mercy Signatory to Statement Holding Corporations Accountable for Human Rights Abuses

On March 11th, Constantine D'Abreu from Edmund Rice International delivered a statement on behalf of the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy International Association and Members of the NGO Mining Working Group during the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Supporting the complementarity of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Draft Legally Binding Instrument on Transnational Corporations in respect to Human Rights, the statement focuses on prevention, protection, and accountability.

Some key advocacy points are detailed below:

• "We encourage States to strengthen and incorporate into their domestic laws clear provisions and obligations to enforce corporate human rights, due diligence policies, including within supply chains, subsidiaries and private investors.
• The Draft Treaty's focus on the rights of victims and access to justice and remedy is key, especially for human and environmental rights defenders.... we promote the establishment of a forum where those most affected, in particular women, can testify, safely and privately, in regards to injustices.
• We call for the integration of preventative mechanisms.and recommend that regulations mandate human and environmental impact assessments that are ongoing and regular.

Messages to: Angela Reed rsm - MIA-MGA Coordinator