*Originally publised on the website of the Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples’ Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity.
Movements, unions, Indigenous Peoples and affected communities are coming together to demand a strong, legally Binding Treaty that holds transnational corporations accountable for their human rights violations and grants access to justice for those on the frontlines. This comes as human rights violations and the destruction of the environment at the hands of transnational corporations run rampant. In Geneva (Switzerland), groups gathered to take action ahead of the 12th session of Binding Treaty negotiations at the United Nations, launching the Checkmate campaign, which seeks to mobilize people globally in order to make these demands a reality and ensure that these calls for justice cannot be ignored.
Mona Sabella, ERC-Net corporate accountability coordinator said:
“Transnational corporations, from Mekorot to Chevron to Boeing, are complicit in the genocide against the Palestinian people, profiting by billions while violating human rights and destroying the environment across many regions. Through corporate capture, corporations turn governments and laws into tools to protect their power and profits, while communities in the millions are denied access to justice. A strong Binding Treaty is critical to ending this impunity and guaranteeing remedy for those on the frontlines. The power of the people outweighs the power of corporations. We are the 99%, and a strong legally binding instrument can end corporate capture and checkmate corporate power.”
Letícia Paranhos, Friends of the Earth International said:
“Land grabbing, biodiversity loss, pollution, the displacement of Indigenous Peoples, the consequences of corporate power are endless and devastating. Together, we’re demanding a strong, legally Binding Treaty that ends corporate impunity, protects our communities and territories, and guarantees peoples’ rights to food, land, and water. Climate Justice and Food Sovereignty are fundamental rights that need to be protected by binding international law.”
Dadah Kiram Ismula, Member of Parliament, Philippines said:
“There’s no true democracy or economic justice while transnational corporations hold more power than communities and the governments meant to hold them accountable. From corporate lobbying to tax avoidance, exploitative labor practices and investment agreements that put profit over life, these corporations are undermining peoples’ sovereignty and deepening global inequalities. They’re stomping on the will of the people, so we need a strong, legally Binding Treaty to dismantle their architecture of impunity. Our rights, livelihoods, and collective future have to come before corporate interests.”
Zakithi Sibandze, Rural Women’s Assembly said:
“Peasant, Indigenous, Black and working class women sustain life every day, often bearing the heaviest burden of pollution, violence, exploitation and unpaid care work, while facing threats for daring to defend their territories and their rights. When corporations attack and destroy our territories, they attack our bodies, our livelihoods, and our communities. This fight against corporate impunity is a grassroots feminist struggle because our territories are not for sale and our futures are ours to decide. We’re demanding a strong, legally Binding Treaty that holds corporations accountable and guarantees justice and reparations for affected communities.”
For further information and liase with Media
Sol Trumbo Vila // soltrumbovila@tni.org // In Geneva 9-17 October
