ICJ’s Senior Legal Adviser Carlos Lopez made an important speech today at a Joint Hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade and Subcommittee on Human Rights.
The declaration was about the United Nations intergovernmental process towards a treaty in the field of business & human rights.
This treaty could be a crucial instrument for the EU, European countries and European businesses to promote common global rules of respect for human rights that are stronger and enforceable vis a vis companies from all regions.
This will help level the playing field for the companies that have a genuine interest in human rights protection by creating a common standard.
For Governments, it is an important instrument to advance the objective of a level playing field for businesses in the global marketplace.
This is not only important and a condition of success for European businesses who currently have to compete with businesses that do not have to observe the same rules in other parts of the world, but is also a condition for the sustainability of economic globalization and its potential to deliver for the human rights for all.
Download Carlos Lopez’s speech below:
Europe-ICJ speech at the european parliament-ADVOCACY-2017-ENG (in PDF)