Statement delivered by India at the 38th Session of the Human Rights Council on Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on transnational corporations and human rights by Dr. Yumnam Arun Kumar, Deputy Secretary(UNES), Ministry of External Affairs on the 25th of June 2018, Geneva.
Thank You Mr. Vice President,
India thanks the Working Group on ‘Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises’ and the Special Rapporteur on 'Independence of Judges and Lawyers' for their reports. Our statement pertains to the Report of the Working Group on transnational corporations and human rights.
2. The report which is centred around the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights focuses on the expectations that States should take additional steps to protect against human rights abuses by business enterprises that receive substantial support and services from State agencies. The connection between human rights and trade has also been reflected in the report.
3. We understand that the report has drawn inputs from various stakeholders including states and the Export Credit Group of the OECD and its separate Working Group of environmental and social practitioners. India would request if the ambit of stakeholder consultations could be widened to include inputs from credit agencies and groups of the developing world. This is particularly relevant as para 76 of the report says that as of 2013, 44 percent of global official export came from export credit agencies outside the OECD.
4. The report mentions that states should optimally use their leverage with respect to trade and investment promotion while promoting greater corporate respect for human rights. We feel that this concern needs further deliberation.
Mr. Vice-President,
5. India’s efforts at making corporates socially responsible led to the introduction of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) guidelines by amending Companies Act in 2013.
6. India believes that the third pillar of the Guiding Principles on access to remedies invites our serious attention as its implementation has been a concern at the global level. Here we would like to make a mention of the ongoing consultations on a proposed legal instrument on the subject as per the mandate given by HRC Resolution 26/9. India supports this process and hopes for a balanced outcome which should have the broadest possible acceptance.
Thank You Mr. Vice-President.
