USCIB Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Ewa Staworzynska attended the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights (BHR) in Geneva last week and spoke on a session titled, “Ten years of debates and negotiations on a legally binding instrument (LBI) on business and human rights: taking stock of progress and remaining challenges.” 

Staworzynska emphasized the need for the UN Treaty on BHR to align more closely with the UN Guiding Principles on BHR, which are the key framework in this field. Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Achsanul Habib and the Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva and Chair-Rapporteur of the OEIGWG Ambassador Marcelo Vázquez Bermúdez joined Staworzynska on the panel. 

Staworzynska also cautioned that the strict liability provisions could lead to divestment from developing countries and emerging markets. She also expressed concerns about the draft Treaty’s promotion of extraterritorial jurisdiction, which could undermine the strengthening of legal systems and the rule of law at the national level. 

She urged governments to guide the negotiations in a more practical direction and to take essential steps to advance human rights globally, including through National Action Plans.