Comments on the report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights and transnational corporations

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
4th session
March 12–30, 2007

[Excerpt from the statement]

However, the Special Representative tends to downplay this approach, suggesting that TNCs are not directly subject to international law and that the most appropriate solution would be for the State, together with businesses and “civil society,” to draw inspiration from a few international instruments to establish “soft law standards and initiatives “ (para. 44), which could be translated as ”non-binding standards or declarations of principles and other initiatives.” In the first part of paragraph 45, the rapporteur clarifies the idea of “soft law” in the sense that the word ‘soft’ does not in itself create the same obligations that entail legal responsibility. And he suggests that States should move towards “soft law” for various reasons…

Read CETIM’s oral statement in French