Campaigns : Business and Human Rights: Towards Corporate Accountability
State Consultation on Corporate Accountability
8th April 2010 | Hotel Mayura, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
The Consultation, jointly organized by Pairvi, New Delhi and Chhattisgarh Citizen’s Initiatives (CGCI) Raipur, brought together stakeholders like community and affected people, grassroots activists, NGO representatives, representatives from academia, judiciary as well as from business confederation and state.
The day long Consultation concluded with identification of the need to establish a dialogue between the business houses, state agencies and the civil society organization. CII offered to organize a dialogue involving business houses and the CSOs to initiate the discussion. State agencies also showed their willingness to become a part of this process. CII also accepted to put MOUs signed by all their member organizations in their website as a welcome gesture towards this new beginning.
Download: Executive summary of report of the Consultation (PDF)
Full report of the Consultation (PDF)
Upcoming Activities:
1. Training of Trainers Workshop at Raipur, Chhattisgarh on 15th and 16th June 2010
2. National Workshop on Access to Information from Business Houses, New Delhi, 29th and 30th June 2010
3. Publication of Resource Book on Industries in Chhattisgarh by end of July 2010
Last updated on 8th June 2010
Accountability of Business Houses in Social Development: A Background
Today more than ever, the realization of human rights is intimately tied to movements in the global economy. Companies may impact the realization of human dignity and fundamental right in positive and negative way. The business impacts on fundamental rights are widespread and are not limited to certain countries or regions, nor do they occur only within certain sectors or affect only certain rights. Business enterprises have had significant negative impacts upon the enjoyment of all types of human rights, in different political systems, around the world and across industries.
Business activities can affect labour rights directly. They may impact rights in the workplace, including the use of child and forced labour, repression of trade union rights, inadequate remuneration, unsafe work conditions, and discrimination in the workplace, as well as abuses of the rights to life, liberty and security of person. Peoples’ livelihoods and well being can be seriously jeopardized by business activities which result in the contamination or usurpation of air, water, soil, or other public resources upon which these communities depend. The effects of these types of environmental disruptions can cause direct harm to a number of inter related rights, particularly the rights to life, livelihood, health, food and water.
Business activities can also substantially undermine the rights of indigenous peoples, both directly and through third parties. Indigenous peoples’ land, resource and cultural rights, rights to free, prior and informed consent, life, health, water, food, collective housing, property, and effective remedy can all be substantially harmed by business activities. Likewise, right to adequate and secure housing can be harmed by private industry. Instances of forced eviction and displacements have been reported as a result of large public infrastructure projects, such as dam construction, commercial development, city beautification programmes, and natural resource extraction associated with mining and oil sectors. Such activities accordingly have weakened the realization of rights to housing, life and security of person, livelihood and food.
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