The always reliable Monitor of the ISHR wraps up the latest session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva with a comment on the Council’s missed opportunity to strengthen the protection of human rights defenders who work to corporate accountability for human rights violations: During its current session in Geneva, the Council has adopted two resolutions on the topic of business and human rights. One resolution, led by Norway, Argentina, Ghana and Russia, focuses on national implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, renewing the mandate of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, and examining ways in which to enhance access to justice for victims of corporate violations. That resolution was adopted by consensus. The other resolution, led by Ecuador and South Africa, establishes an inter-governmental process to begin the development of a treaty to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises. That resolution was adopted by 20 votes to 14 with 13 abstentions. While both resolutions contain paragraphs which recognise the valuable role played by civil society organisations in promoting corporate respect for human rights and exposing and seeking remedy for corporate violations, they both fall well short of NGO calls to recognise the worsening risks and attacks that human rights defenders who work on issues of business and human rights face, and the obligations of States to protect and support them in this regard. (see my older posts on this issue: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/tag/corporate-accountability/)
ISHR Director Phil Lynch: “… with increasing attacks against human rights defenders who work on issues of corporate accountability, the vast majority of which are perpetrated with impunity, it is deeply regrettable that neither of the resolutions on business and human rights adopted at this session recognises the risks they face nor the legal obligations of States to prevent, investigate and pursue accountability for these attacks. This failure is a victory for impunity and fundamentally incompatible with the purported commitment of the sponsors of both resolutions to protect and support victims of business-related human rights abuses.” Michael Ineichen of the ISHR added that while ISHR supports the development of a treaty on business and human rights, such a treaty should complement and build on the Guiding Principles and not dilute or undermine them in any way. 
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
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