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One More Step Towards a Treaty Regulating Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises

1 November 2016
Participants from Guatemala and Haiti at the second session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on TNCs in Palais de Nations, Geneva. Photo: WILPF.
Participants from Guatemala and Haiti at the second session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on TNCs in Palais de Nations, Geneva. Photo: WILPF.

The second session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises (the Working Group) took place from 24 to 28 October 2016. Several issues relevant to the proposed treaty were discussed in panel debates with academic, NGO and other experts (e.g. impacts of the operations of TNCs and other business enterprises; scope of the treaty; states’ extraterritorial obligations; access to remedies).

Drawing from the analysis in WILPF’s report on artisanal mining in the DRC, we made three statements: emphasising the fundamental importance of meaningful participation of affected women and of integrating a gender perspective throughout the drafting process; recommending mandatory gender impact assessments; and highlighting the need to take into account the gender dimensions of the right to an effective remedy. A summary of our statements is reflected in the UN report of the session.

As part of the Treaty Alliance, we cosponsored a side event on obstacles to access to justice from the view of the community lawyers and advocates. At the event spoke Indigenous Mayan Q’eqchi leader Angelica Choc, widow of Adolfo Ich, who is fighting for justice in Guatemala and Canada for the murder of her husband by a mining company security guards. She is also supporting the 11 Q’eqchi’ women who were gang-raped by security personnel of a Canadian mining company’s subsidiary and who have also sought justice before a Canadian court. Their case is featured in the shadow report for the CEDAW Committee’s review of Canada presented jointly by the Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad and WILPF.

YouTube video

What happens next with regard to the treaty drafting process?

The Chair of the Working Group will prepare elements for the draft legally binding instrument for substantive negotiations at the third session that will be held in 2017.

Read more at: http://treatymovement.com/news

Or watch the archived webcast video of the Working Group’s session

Use the hashtags #BindingTreaty #StopCorporateAbuse on social networks!

 

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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