Monday, 23 October 2017 – 10:00

Distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be here this morning to welcome all of you to the third session of the open-ended working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights.

I would like to thank Her Excellency Dr. María Fernanda Espinosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, and His Excellency Mr. Guillaume Long, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ecuador, for the kind invitation they have extended to me to address you.

The role of human rights within corporations is a key querstion of vital importance for the continued development of human rights at the universal level.

In agreement with Council resolution 26/9, the mandate of this intergovernmental working group is “to elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises”.

In this regard, the strive for consensus is especially important, as it grows out of the conviction that the best approach to promote the recognition of human rights in a globalized world is one of constructive cooperation and genuine dialogue throughout processes of negotiation with good practices and tangible results.

This has been the spirit of the two previous sessions of the Working Group, the aim being to deliberate constructively on the content, scope, nature and shape of the future international legal instrument. As such, on this occasion, I am pleased to participate in the open the Working Group’s third session, aimed at continuing negotiations for the development of this instrument, which is, in turn, growing our of negotiation and dialogue, and as a constructive source of a better and more consolidated recognition of human rights on an international scale.

The development of the 2030 Agenda and its inextricable link with the comprehensive development of human rights, justifies the starting point as well as the objectives to be shaped in the results of this intergovernmental working group.
Its importance will indicate the fundamental similarities in the proposed agenda.

The Presidency of the Human Rights Council firmly supports the mandate of this intergovernmental working group as laid-out in the resolution 26/9, as well as the initiatives that stem from its work, for the promotion and protection of human rights in the framework of the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises, and to the benefit of the wellbeing and development of humanity.

I would like to thank once again Her Excellency Dr. María Fernanda Espinosa, Minister of Foreign Relations and Human Mobility of Ecuador, for the invitation as well as for her work as Chairpersonship-Rapporteur of this Intergovernmental Working Group, and for her faithful dedication towards the fulfilment of its mandate, as well as the decisive support of Ecuador and its distinguished delegation.

I wish you all a very successful and productive session.

Thank you.