Brendan Smith urges mandatory business human rights due diligence
Brendan Smith addressed business and human rights, welcoming expert presentations and urging stronger legal protections to prevent corporate abuses. He warned that defenders of land, indigenous and environmental rights face brutal attacks and said the committee will press the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade to act.
Praise for researchers and NGOs
He applauded Siobhan and Ed, Trokera, human rights defenders and other NGOs, and welcomed Mary Lawler and the research from the Centre for Social Innovation at the Business School in TCD. He said the TCD research sends a clear message that business and human rights issues must be addressed both nationally and internationally.
Risks faced by land, indigenous and environmental defenders
He said most people would not be aware that human rights work is at its most dangerous when defending land rights, indigenous people's rights and environmental rights. Those who question and resist the destruction of their lands and communities, he warned, face brutal consequences including killings, attacks, criminalisation and repression.
Documented attacks and international concern
He cited the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, who described the data on disappearances, killings and assassinations as "a horror story." He noted that since 2015 the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has documented more than 2,000 attacks on activists working on business-related human rights issues.
Recommendations and committee action
He summarised the recommendations presented to the committee: stronger regulation to ensure businesses do not violate human rights; Ireland adopting mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation; Ireland supporting EU mandatory due diligence requirements; and Ireland supporting and contributing to a UN binding treaty on business and human rights. He said the committee agreed and that he would write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade to advance those requests.
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Thank you very much. Along with colleagues, I welcome the excellent presentations on this important area of business and human rights. We applaud you, Siobhan and Ed, and your colleagues in Trokera and human rights defenders, and indeed other NGOs who are doing excellent work in this very important area. It is also heartening to have Mary Lawler with her background working in the Centre for Social Innovation at the Business School in TCD, as Senator Batchik referred to. That research from TCD presented this morning gives us a very clear message that these issues need to be addressed nationally as well as internationally. I would think and I believe that most people would not be aware that human rights work is at its most dangerous in defending land rights, indigenous people's rights and environmental rights. Irresponsible business practices cannot be tolerated. Business activities should not adversely affect human rights. Indeed, most people would expect, particularly in the least developed countries, an enhancement of rights for persons through economic development, with the resulting better and much needed public services as well. That is the view most people would have, I would think. Those who question and resist the destruction of their lands and communities are facing brutal consequences, including killings, attacks, criminalisation and repression. The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights has referred to the data on disappearances, killings and assassinations as a horror story. Since 2015, more than 2,000 attacks on activists working on human rights issues related to business have been documented by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. I just, in reference to your request to us, to make a particular recommendation to Antonisja, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and his department, that with the agreement of the committee, we will write following this meeting in relation to the very, very important issues that all of you have put before the meeting this morning. You have asked us, Siobhan, in your presentation, that we recommend to Antonisja to ensure that there is a stronger regulation needed, both nationally and internationally, to provide a legal framework to ensure business corporations do not violate human rights in their operations. You are recommending that Ireland adopt mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation, Ireland to support EU mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation and Ireland also to support and contribute to the development of a UN binding treaty on business and human rights. I believe that that meets with the approval of our committee and I will write to Antonisja outlining the issues that you have all amplified so well here this morning and out a calling on him to advance the request that you put forward to us today and that meets with the agreement of this committee. Thank you.
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