On 10 October 2007, 151 organisations addressed a letter to John Ruggie, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, suggesting issues to be prioritised during the remainder of his mandate.
On 10 October 2007, 151 civil society organisations, including FORUM-ASIA, addressed a letter to John Ruggie, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The letter calls on the Special Representative to prioritise four issues during the remainder of his mandate. It also contains proposals for recommendations that could be included in his final report to the Human Rights Council.

Ruggie works for the protection of human rights in the context of business activities. In this world, “business is a very powerful actor that can have both negative and positive impacts on the enjoyment by individuals, communities and indigenous peoples of their human rights,” it states.

The letter urges him to prioritise four issues related to his mandate: deepening the focus of the UN on actual situations relating to human rights and business; analysis of the factors behind states’ failure to adequately discharge their duty to protect the human rights of individuals, communities and indigenous peoples; assessment of the inherent limitation of voluntary initiatives; and spreading awareness of the need for global standards on business and human rights to be outlined in a UN declaration or similar instrument.

Read the whole letter to John Ruggie (in .pdf).