Distribution Network
Content
John Ruggie, the United Nations secretary-general’s special representative on business and human rights, has been granted his wish for an extra year to complete his deliberations on how the UN should deal with companies’ human rights impacts (EP8, issue 11).
Last month’s fifth session of the UN Human Rights Council gave Ruggie the extra time after considering his ‘final’ 26-page report to the council, which had concluded that he needed another year to come up with ‘clear options and proposals’.
Delegates extended Ruggie’s mandate to July 2008, but, in an unexpected move, also decided that the mandate would again be reviewed on that date with the possibility of a three year extension to 2011. Ruggie told EP the idea of considering a further extension ‘was theirs, not mine’.
Ruggie, a former UN assistant secretary-general, spent 18 months gathering evidence on what action the UN might take to address the human rights impacts of multinationals. He was appointed to his role after a UN subcommittee published draft norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations that were welcomed by non-governmental organizations but upset business interests. He appears to have decided that the norms are essentially unworkable in their current form, but has so far been careful not to condemn them outright for fear of reigniting the polarized debate about their desirability.
Last month’s fifth session of the UN Human Rights Council gave Ruggie the extra time after considering his ‘final’ 26-page report to the council, which had concluded that he needed another year to come up with ‘clear options and proposals’.
Delegates extended Ruggie’s mandate to July 2008, but, in an unexpected move, also decided that the mandate would again be reviewed on that date with the possibility of a three year extension to 2011. Ruggie told EP the idea of considering a further extension ‘was theirs, not mine’.
Ruggie, a former UN assistant secretary-general, spent 18 months gathering evidence on what action the UN might take to address the human rights impacts of multinationals. He was appointed to his role after a UN subcommittee published draft norms on the responsibilities of transnational corporations that were welcomed by non-governmental organizations but upset business interests. He appears to have decided that the norms are essentially unworkable in their current form, but has so far been careful not to condemn them outright for fear of reigniting the polarized debate about their desirability.
Super Featured
No
Featured
No