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Human Rights in business - February 2015
Special Meeting on the promotion and protection of
Human Rights in business
On Thursday, January 29,
2015, the Committee on Juridical and Political
Affairs (CAJP) of the OAS Permanent Council held
a special meeting to "foster the exchange of
best practices and experiences in the promotion
and protection of human rights in business,"
scheduled pursuant to the General Assembly
resolution
AG/RES. 2840 (XLIV-O/14), entitled
"Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in
Business," and organized with the support of the
Department of International Law.
![Curso sobre los Elementos Esenciales para la Identificación, Protección, Prevención y Reducción de la Apatridia en las Américas (CAJP, 2015)](http://www.oas.org/es/sla/ddi/imgs/boletines_informativos_sesion_especial_derechos_humanos_empresa_2015_1.jpg)
The meeting was chaired by
Ambassador Stephen Vasciannie, Permanent
Representative of Jamaica to the OAS and its
panelists included representatives of the organs
of the inter-American system, governmental and
nongovernmental international organizations, and
representatives of the member states.
With respect to representatives of OAS organs,
the meeting was addressed by the Chair of the
Inter-American Juridical Committee and CJI
rapporteur on the subject, Dr. Fabián Novak
Talavera, who gave a summary of the Committee's
report, which describes national and
international legislation, as well as business
practices, in light of the jurisprudence on this
matter. Dr. Novak likewise presented the "Guide
to Corporate Social Responsibility Principles in
the Americas", which had been adopted by the
Committee and submitted to the member states
with a view to strengthening progress already
made in the region. The document puts forward a
shared responsibility approach, with the
participation of a number of sectors, including
academia, NGOs, trade unions, social
organizations, the media, and churches, and with
states and enterprises being called upon to
comply with concrete obligations. He ended his
presentation by offering states the good offices
of the Committee in support of any OAS
initiative in this field.
Also taking part in the panel were Paulo
Vannuchi, the Commissioner in charge of the Unit
on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights of the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights;
Maryse Robert, Director of the Department of
Economic and Social Development of the Executive
Secretariat for Integral Development; and,
Carmen Moreno Toscano, Executive Secretary of
the Inter-American Commission of Women.
With respect to the United Nations, the CAJP was
addressed by Dr. Alexandra Guaqueta, a member of
the United Nations Working Group on business and
human rights, who commended the OAS member
states for the progress made and explained the
origins and evolution of the United Nations
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Speaking from a civil society perspective, Dr.
Jorge Caillant, Executive Director of the Center
for Human Rights and Environment (CEDH),
underscored the fundamental role of human rights
in the juridical and institutional framework of
corporate responsibility.
From a business standpoint, Mr. Eduardo García
Moreno explained the commitments undertaken by
Repsol at various United Nations forums and its
respect for the principles enshrined in the
United Nations Global Compact, ILO Convention
168 on the rights of indigenous peoples, and the
United Nations Guiding Principles on Business
and Human Rights. With respect to the last of
these, he pointed to the importance of having
clear rules to steer corporate behavior, while
enabling enterprises to be flexible in their
operations.
For their part, the government representatives
at the meeting highlighted the processes under
way aimed at drafting and adopting action plans
in this area. They also described individual
countries' efforts in various areas of national
life, such as implementation of the
international conventions of the International
Labour Organization, the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development, and the
United Nations. They also mentioned, inter alia,
the register of enterprises and private
initiatives in labor and environment matters.
Some delegations also referred to actions under
way internationally to promote new legal
frameworks, the organization of seminars, and
the dissemination of national plans and
experiences.
In his closing remarks, the Chair of the CAJP,
Ambassador Stephen Vasciannie, congratulated
participants on the range and profundity of
their observations.
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