Emmaus International is part of a huge coalition of organisations, unions and social movements within the framework of the European mobilisation campaign, 'Rights for people, rules for corporations', which calls for people to sign a petition: http://stopimpunite.org/. Together, the coalition is exposing the obscure parallel justice system that benefits multinational corporations. It calls for the introduction of binding regulations to ensure they respect human and environmental rights.
This European-wide campaign condemns the fact that over 3400 treaties on commerce and investment protect the interests of multinationals, giving them access to a parallel justice system. Dubbed the Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement (ISDS), this system enables multinationals to legally challenge States whose policies in favour of the general interest clash with their financial interests. Conversely, no legal provisions force them to respect human or environmental rights.
Luckily, this system can be changed and several States would like to make corporations legally accountable. This is the case of France which adopted, in March 2017, a law on the duty of vigilance, forcing corporations to prevent threats from their activities to human and environmental rights.
With the European elections on the horizon, France is partly responsible for producing a shift within the European Union.
With this campaign, Emmaus International is calling upon European leaders to:
- end arbitration tribunals between investors and states
- adopt a European directive on the duty of vigilance
- ratify a UN Binding Treaty on national corporations and human rights.
This campaign fits in with the struggle defended by the Emmaus Movement for fundamental rights and environmental justice. Together, we are fighting for societal change across the globe.
Sign the European initiative here:
