Seventh session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights

On 26 June 2014, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 26/9, in which it decided "to establish an open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, whose mandate shall be to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises."

Since, the open-ended intergovernmental working group (OEIGWG) has had seven sessions (see history of the process below). Ahead of the seventh session, the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, on behalf of the Chairmanship of the OEIGWG, released a third revised draft of the legally binding instrument. The third revised draft served as the basis for State-led negotiations during the seventh session, which will took place from 25 to 29 October 2021.

Please regularly consult this webpage, as more information will be posted as it becomes available. If you have any questions, please contact ohchr-igwg-tncs@un.org.

Report on the seventh session of the OEIGWG:
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Text of the third revised draft legally binding instrument with the concrete textual proposals submitted by States during the seventh session (A/HRC/49/65/Add.1)

Annex with the compilation of the general statements from States and other relevant stakeholders

Annex with the compilation of compilation of comments and requests for clarifications from States

Annex with the compilation of concrete textual proposals made by non-State stakeholders (forthcoming)

Third revised draft legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises

• Note Verbale by the Chairmanship of the Working Group regarding the release of the third revised draft legally binding instrument
  
• Unofficial comparison of 3^rd and 2^nd revised drafts of the legally binding instrument in track changes

Draft programme of work for the 7th session

Revised technical note on the organization of the 7^th session

Note on modalities for the 7^th session and the process projected after the 7^th session

Zoom Guidelines and Recommendations

A/HRC/WG.16/7/1: Provisional agenda for the 7^th session

Webcast of the session

Only UN Member and Observer States, specialized agencies and other international organizations, national human rights institutions with "A status" accreditation, and NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status may attend and participate in the public meetings of the OEIGWG.

Accreditation requirements vary depending on the entity you will be representing. Please consult the accreditation page to find instructions on how to properly request accreditation based on your designation.

All registration and accreditation requests must be made online through UNOG's Indico system.

Only UN Member and Observer States, specialized agencies and other international organizations, national human rights institutions with "A status" accreditation, and NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status may participate in the public meetings of the OEIGWG. Please consult the participation page for instructions on how to make interventions during the seventh session.

Side-events cannot take place inside the Palais des Nations during the seventh session of the OEIGWG. Stakeholders are free to organize virtual side events or events outside of the Palais des Nations.

Side-event information

• 20 October 2021: 1-2pm (CET) “Child Rights Approach to the draft legally binding instrument on business and human rights” (online event)
  
• 26 October 2021: 1-3pm (CET) “Youth demands on the UN Binding Treaty” (in-person event)
• 26 October 2021: 1h30 (CET) “Barriers to accountability caused by corporate capture: advancing a UN Treaty to Stop Corporate Impunity (Online event) English | Français | Español
• 28 October 2021: 1-2.30pm (CET) “How can self-regulatory corporate approaches and a binding UN treaty on business and human rights lead to a fairer global economy?” (Online event)
  

During the intersessional period between the sixth and seventh sessions, the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, on behalf of the Chairmanship of the OEIGWG, held a series of open informal consultations with Governments, regional groups, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations mechanisms, civil society and other relevant stakeholders, as one of the bases for the preparation of the third revised draft legally binding instrument:

• First open informal consultation: Wednesday, 26 May 2021, 10:00-12:00, online
• Second open informal consultation: Friday, 11 June 2021, 10:00-12:00, online

The agenda for the open consultations.

The first and second sessions of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (OEIGWG) were dedicated to conducting constructive deliberations on the content, scope, nature and form of a future international instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises.

During the third session, the Working Group discussed elements for a draft legally binding instrument prepared by the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the OEIGWG taking into consideration the discussions held during the first two sessions.

During the fourth session, the Working Group's discussions focused on a zero draft legally binding instrument, as well as a zero draft optional protocol to be annexed to the zero draft legally binding instrument.

During the fifth session, a revised draft of the legally binding instrument served as the basis for negotiations.

During the sixth session, a second revised draft of the legally binding instrument served as the basis for negotiations.

Ahead of the seventh session, the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, on behalf of the Chairmanship of the OEIGWG, prepared a third revised draft of the legally binding instrument.

Opening statements

High Commissioner for Human Rights

General statements and statements for each article are available on https://owncloud.unog.ch/s/uimBIlpxsyirMpm