Around the world, communities are facing environmental destruction, land dispossession, and human rights abuses linked to corporate activity—often without access to justice. This briefing paper explores how the proposed UN Binding Treaty on transnational corporations and human rights could help close global accountability gaps and strengthen protections for people and the planet.
Drawing on real-world cases and recent legal developments, the paper shows how binding international rules could strengthen prevention, liability, and access to remedy when corporations cause environmental harm and human rights violations. It also highlights why advancing the treaty negotiations is essential to addressing corporate impunity and protecting the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
The briefing paper was authored by FIAN International, with the support of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, and includes contributions from International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net), Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Franciscans International, and International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).
