PH Calls for Protection of IPs and PWDs at UN Human Rights Meet
(Geneva PM photo)
GENEVA 20 July 2018 – Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organizations Evan P. Garcia participated in the session on the proposed “Legally Binding Instrument on Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and Other Business Enterprises (OBEs) with Respect to Human Rights” on 17 July 2018 in Geneva, where he echoed the Philippines’ call to promote and protect the rights of Persons with Disabilies (PWDs) and Indegenous Peoples (IPs).
The meeting was convened in preparation for the 4th Session of the Open Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on TNCs and OBEs with Respect to Human Rights, which will be held in October 2019 in Geneva.
Luis Gallegos, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva, chaired the Ambassadorial-meeting.
During the meeting, Ambassador Garcia stated that “the Philippines gives great importance to the issue of creating a legally binding instrument on TNCs and OBEs with respect to human rights, in light of the need to protect the most vulnerable members of society including PWDs and IPs.”
The Ambassador added, “Often it is the most vulnerable that are affected adversely by efforts of certain TNCs and OBEs, hence the need to have such a legally binding instrument that guarantees their rights and protects them from abuse and exploitation.”
Ambassador Garcia also stated that “the Philippines as a developing country recognizes the importance of attracting investments into the country through TNCs and OBEs, and that a delicate balance must be struck between the need to protect the most vulnerable while, at the same time, not scaring away investors with the creation of a legally binding instrument that may be too restrictive and punitive.”
With the support of the Philippines and other mainly developing nations, Ecuador has been leading this process in the UN Human Rights Council, which has already held three sessions with the fourth one to be held this coming October.
The Philippines hopes that a legally binding instrument will be agreed upon sooner rather than later, as this would lead to the promotion of the rights, welfare, and well-being of those affected by TNCs and OBEs that commit human rights violations. END
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