The ICJ welcomes the adoption by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child of a General comment on State obligations regarding the impact of the business sector on children’s rights.
The ICJ stresses the Committee is the first UN human rights treaty body to address this issue directly in a General comment.
“The Committee on the Rights of the Child has taken a decisive step in clarifying standards under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and providing much needed guidance for States to better protect the rights of the child against business abuse,” said Carlos Lopez, ICJ’s Senior Legal Adviser on Business and Human Rights.
The UN Committee recognizes that while there is no international legally binding instrument on the business sector’s responsibilities vis-à-vis human rights, “duties and responsibilities to respect the rights of children extend in practice beyond the State and State-controlled services and institutions and apply to private actors and business enterprises. Therefore all businesses must meet their responsibilities regarding children’s rights and States must ensure they do so.”
The UN Committee also acknowledges that voluntary actions of corporate responsibility by business enterprises are not a substitute for State action and regulation of businesses or for businesses to comply with their responsibilities to respect children’s rights.
The General Comment was elaborated through a consultative process over nearly two years with the support of the ICJ, UNICEF and Save the Children International.
It gives interpretation and guidance for States in key areas:
how they should ensure that the activities and operations of business enterprises do not adversely impact on children’s rights;
how to create an enabling and supportive environment for business enterprises to respect children’s rights across their local or global operations; and
how to ensure access to effective remedy for children whose rights have been infringed by a business enterprises.
“The recommendations and guidance provided by the Committee are a key contribution to national and international strategies by States and other actors,” Lopez added. “States now need implement these recommendations.”
Under the title “Urging States and private companies to meet their obligations”, the workshop is taking place from 14 to 17 October 2012 in Sion, Switzerland.
The ICJ is sponsoring this international seminar that will provide all stakeholders with a space to discuss businesses’ impacts on the rights of the child and the international obligations of States in this context, identify practices, instruments and models as well as relevant partners to work for the promotion of the rights of the child in the context of business activities.
The programme of the workshop can be downloaded here:
In an interactive dialogue with representatives of its government, the ICJ called on Brazil to bring its legislation and practice in full compliance with its obligation to consult with indigenous peoples. Watch the webcast.
The ICJ also urged Brazil to expedite steps towards ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and ILO Convention 189 on the protection of domestic workers.
The ICJ delivered its statement today during the adoption by the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodic Review outcome document on Brazil, during the course of the 21st regular session of the Council.
In an interactive dialogue with representatives of its government, the ICJ called on Ecuador to take steps to ensure that its Constitution and other legislation conform with obligations pertaining to the rights of indigenous peoples. Watch the webcast.
The ICJ delivered its statement today during the adoption by the UN Human Rights Council of the Universal Periodic Review outcome document on Ecuador, during the course of the 21st regular session of the Council.
The ICJ made a written submission and presented several oral statements during the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group (IGWG).From 13 to 17 August 2012, the second session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group (IGWG) to consider the possibility of an international regulatory framework on the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of private military and security companies (PMSCs) was held in Geneva, pursuant to the mandate given to the IGWG under Human Rights Council resolution 15/26 (2010). The ICJ was amongst a small number of NGOs participating in this second session.
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