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Sixth session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights

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The first and second sessions of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (OEIGWG) were dedicated to conducting constructive deliberations on the content, scope, nature and form of a future international instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises.  During the third session, the Working Group discussed elements for a draft legally binding instrument prepared by the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the OEIGWG taking into consideration the discussions held during the first two sessions. During the fourth session, the Working Group’s discussions focused on a zero draft legally binding instrument, as well as a zero draft optional protocol to be annexed to the zero draft legally binding instrument. During the fifth session, a revised draft of the legally binding instrument served as the basis for negotiations.

Following the fifth session, the Permanent Mission of Ecuador, on behalf of the Chairmanship of the OEIGWG, prepared a second revised draft of the legally binding instrument. This draft served as the basis for negotiations during the sixth session, which took place from 26 to 30 October 2020.

In furtherance of the recommendations of the Chair-Rapporteur from the sixth session (as indicated in the report of the sixth session), the Secretariat compiled the following documents:

Webcast of the session.

Please regularly consult this webpage, as more information will be posted as it becomes available. If you have any questions, please contact igwg-tncs@ohchr.org.

Documents

Oral Statements

Opening statements

General statements

States:

Observers:

International Organizations:

Intergovernmental Organization:

National Human Rights Institutions:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Preamble, Articles 1 and 2

States:

Observers:

International Organizations:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Articles 3 and 4

States:

Observers:

International Organizations:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Articles 5, 6 and 7

States:

Observers:

International Organizations:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Article 8

States:

Observers:

International Organizations:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Articles 9, 10 and 11

States:

International Organizations:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Articles 12, 13 and 14

States:

Observers:

International Organizations:

National Human Rights Institutions:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Articles 15

States:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status::

Articles 16 to 24

States:

Non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status:

Concluding remarks

COVID-19 Measures

Several measures must be taken during the sixth session in order to comply with the health and safety rules set by UNOG and Swiss federal and cantonal authorities with regard to combatting the spread of COVID-19.

  • Access to room XX will remain limited to one person per delegation. A certain number of seats will be reserved for NGOs, NHRIs, international organizations and the press. Due to its proximity, room XVIII will be made available as an overflow room throughout the session. Webcast services will be provided in English in the overflow room.
  • For purposes of contact tracing, UNOG Security Officers will register each participant who enters room XX by scanning his or her badge. All participants (even those with permanent accreditation to UNOG) are requested to register via the Indico system to help with contact tracing
  • All persons physically present in the Palais des Nations will be required
    • to be free of COVID-19 symptoms. Remote participation is available if you are unable to join the meeting in person
    • to maintain the recommended physical distancing at all times. To ensure physical distancing when entering and exiting the conference rooms, separate doors have been assigned as either entrance or exit doors. Within the conference rooms, participants will be asked to circulate clockwise only. Two seats must remain unoccupied between delegates
    • to wear face masks. All stakeholders are requested to bring their own personal mask.
  • There will be no distribution of documents in the meeting rooms or elsewhere in the Palais des Nations.
  • For any security and/or urgent assistance, delegates can call upon the security officers at the meeting room by dialling 112 from any landline in the Palais des Nations.

Accreditation

Only UN Member and Observer States, specialized agencies and other international organizations, national human rights institutions with "A status" accreditation, and NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status may attend and participate in the public meetings of the OEIGWG. Others may be able to access the public gallery during the session.

Accreditation requirements vary depending on the entity you will be representing. Please consult the accreditation page to find instructions on how to properly request accreditation based on your designation.

Side Events

Side-events cannot take place inside the Palais des Nations during the 6th session of the IGWG on TNCs and OBEs. Stakeholders are free to organize virtual side events or events outside of the Palais des Nations. At the request of side event organizers, and at the discretion of the Secretariat, the Secretariat may be able to share side event details on the 6th session website provided:

  • The side event is organized by an entity entitled to attend and participate in the public meetings of the IGWG (i.e., UN Member and Observer States, specialized agencies and other international organizations, national human rights institutions with "A status" accreditation, and NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status);
  • The side event is connected to the 6th session of the IGWG; and
  • The side event meets United Nations standards (e.g., contains no profane or inflammatory language).

Side-event information (online side-events)

  • 28 October 2020 : 13.30-15:00 pm (CEST)
    Invitation (PDF)
  • 29 October 2020, 2pm-3pm Geneva / 9am-10am New York : “Human Rights abuses and environmental degradation – What the treaty can bring
    Flyer (JPEG | PDF)

Oral Engagement During the Session

Only UN Member and Observer States, specialized agencies and other international organizations, national human rights institutions with "A status" accreditation, and NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status may participate in the public meetings of the OEIGWG. Please consult the participation page for instructions on how to make interventions during the sixth session.

Intersessional Consultations

Two informal consultations (see details below) took place, respectively on 29 May and 25th June:

  • At the final meeting of its fifth session, the OEIGWG took note with appreciation of the recommendations of the Chair-Rapporteur and looked forward to the second revised draft legally binding instrument, the informal consultations, and the updated programme of work for its sixth session, which will be held from 26 to 30 October 2020, as a follow up to the implementation of the mandate of HRC resolution 26/9.
  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and communication earlier this week by UNOG conference services about the impossibility to hold in-person meetings until at least end of May 2020, the first consultation, which was due to take place on Wednesday, 29 April 2020, 15:00-17:00, in Room V of the Palais des Nations, was postponed and the And the first consultation, planned on Friday, 29 May 2020, 10:00-12:00, took place online.
  • Following this first virtual consultation on 29 May, a second consultation, took place on Thursday 25th June, from 3 to 5pm CET.
  • This series of consultations were complement to the discussions held during the fifth session of the OEIGWG; the two annexes of the report of the fifth session containing respectively a compilation of written statements and a compilation of the concrete textual suggestions presented by States during the fifth session; the additional textual suggestions on the draft legally binding instrument received until the end of February 2020, in accordance with the Chair-Rapporteur's recommendation 101 (a)–(c); and the ongoing bilateral consultations and other related activities undertaken by the Chairmanship in preparation of the sixth session of the OEIGWG.
  • The two annexes mentioned above, can been found on the website of the OEIGWG.
  • The agenda for the open consultations on the revised draft LBI on TNCs and OBEs with respect to Human Rights is available here.

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