Summary

In resolution 8/7, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize a two-day consultation bringing together the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights (the Special Representative) and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, business representatives and all relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and representatives of victims of corporate abuse, to discuss ways and means to operationalize the “Protect, Respect, Remedy” framework on business and human rights put forward by the Special Representative.

The consultation featured multi-stakeholder panel discussions about selected topics related to each of the pillars of the Special Representative’s framework. In addition to the formal session, and to secure the highest degree of inclusivity and diversity of views and opinions, all participants were given the opportunity to organize side events in order to draw attention to any relevant issues of their choice.

The following side events were organized:

• “Investment agreements and human rights” organized by the Special Representative John Ruggie
• “The OECD Guidelines: A tool for operationalizing the business and human rights framework?” organized by OECD Watch
• “Global Justice: European Transnational Corporations versus Human Rights” by Europe-Latin America and the Caribbean Enlazando Alternativas Bi-regional Network and the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal
• American Outrage, a documentary shown by Julie Cavanaugh Bill, Western Shoshone Defense Project
• “Follow the money: how companies are impacting human rights” organized by Business and Human Rights Resource Centre and Global Witness
• “National human rights institutions’ role in business and human rights” by the ICC Working Group on Business and Human Rights

This addendum features summaries of the proceedings of the side events provided by the organizers. In general, the side events were well attended and triggered important discussions and points relevant for the operationalization of the framework of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.