The UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights: Regulating Corporate Power in the Era of Deregulation
South Centre and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva Office Report, March 2026
By Daniel Fernando Uribe Terán
This study examines how the United Nations Legally Binding Instrument (LBI) serves as a vital tool to preserve state sovereignty and to ensure the primacy of human rights in the era of deregulation.
61st Session of the Human Rights Council Side Event:
Regulating Corporate Power in the Era of Deregulation: Launching the South Centre and FES 2026 Report for the UN Legally Binding Instrument
Co-organized by the South Centre and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva Office
Date: 26 March 2026
Time: 12:00 – 13:00 CET
Venue: Room Concordia 1, Palais des Nations, Geneva
The South Centre, in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva, is pleased to invite you to the launch of our new report The UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights: Regulating Corporate Power in the Era of Deregulation.
This study examines how the UN Legally Binding Instrument (LBI) serves as a vital tool to preserve state sovereignty and to ensure the primacy of human rights in the era of deregulation.
Join us in Geneva to discuss concrete solutions to “justice paralysis” and corporate impunity.
Light lunch will be provided after the event.
Knocking Down Business-related Human Rights Abuses with a Feather: Is the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive Sufficient to Tackle Corporate Impunity?
By Daniel Uribe
In April 2024, the European Parliament approved the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), aiming to ensure that European firms and their partners uphold human rights and environmental standards in their supply chains. This Directive applies to large EU and non-EU companies, with a phased implementation starting in 2027. The CSDDD mandates the integration of due diligence in corporate policies and the development of transition plans aligned with the Paris Agreement. Despite these advancements, the Directive’s scope and civil liability provisions are limited to effectively hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses. The ongoing negotiations on an International Legally Binding Instrument on Business and Human Rights offer an opportunity to adopt common standards on due diligence and jurisdiction to improve access to justice and remedies for victims of corporate-related abuses.
