Outcome of the fifth session of the HRC Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations,(Geneva, 17-21 June 2013) – (excerpts) – HRC report

Outcome of the fifth session of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises

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^* Reissued for technical reasons on 16 August 2013.

I. Outcome of the fifth session of the Working Group

1. The Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises held its fifth session from 17 to 21 June 2013, in Geneva. At that session, the Working Group discussed its programme of work and activities for 2013 and 2014, forthcoming country visits and reports, its thematic report to the General Assembly on the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the context of business activities that have an impact on indigenous peoples, follow-up to the 2012 Forum on Business and Human Rights and preparation for the 2013 Forum, its communications strategy, preparations for the regional Forum on Business and Human Rights for the Latin America and Caribbean region, Human Rights Council resolution 22/29, and engagement with partners.

2. At its fifth session, the Working Group held meetings with representatives of Member States, as well as of the Gender Reference Group, the Global Reporting Initiative and Shift. It also held a panel discussion open to the general public on managing human rights risks in the garment sector supply chain and the lessons learned from the perspective of the Guiding Principles.

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VII. Human Rights Council resolution 22/29

18. The Working Group discussed Human Rights Council resolution 22/29, in which the Council called upon the relevant United Nations bodies to take all necessary measures and actions within their mandates to ensure full respect for and compliance with Council resolution 17/4 on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other relevant international laws and standards, and to ensure the implementation of the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework, which provided a global standard for upholding human rights in relation to business activities that are connected with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and requested the Working Group, including in consultation with relevant special procedures mandate holders, to fulfil its mandate accordingly.

19. In this regard, the Working Group welcomed the fact that a number of United Nations mechanisms (namely, treaty bodies and special procedures mandate holders) already referred to and applied the Framework and the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the implementation of their respective thematic and country mandates. The Working Group reiterated its previous recommendations to States and business enterprises on the implementation of the Guiding Principles,⁸ and noted that they applied to all companies and in all contexts, and also within the occupied Palestinian territories.

20. The Working Group noted furthermore that the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, had already investigated and reported on the matter,⁹ and that the High Commissioner would be reporting thereon to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-fifth session, pursuant to the request made by the Council in resolution 22/29.

21. Lastly, the Working Group decided to continue its consideration of the matter and to issue a statement thereon before the twenty-sixth session of the Human Rights Council.

Notes

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⁸See A/67/285, A/HRC/20/29 and A/HRC/23/32. 

⁹See A/67/379, A/HRC/22/63 and A/HRC/23/21. 

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