UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena called for building alliances between governments, citizens and the private sector in order to promote the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as she inaugurated the regional consultation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
The consultation process sought to foster debate on the responsibilities of private enterprises in respecting human rights.
2 March 2016: UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena called for building alliances between governments, citizens and the private sector in order to promote the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as she inaugurated the regional consultation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The consultation process sought to foster debate on the responsibilities of private enterprises in respecting human rights.
Representatives of governments, international institutions, civil organizations and the private sector in Latin America and the Caribbean attended the meeting, which took place from 2-3 March 2016, in Santiago, Chile, and focused on both public policies and private initiatives regarding the respect for human rights.
According to Bárcena, Latin America and the Caribbean are experiencing recessionary bias, characterized by low demand and excessive liquidity, which perpetuate a downturn in trade and reduce the appeal of foreign direct investment (FDI), which is crucial for both low- and middle-income countries (MICs). She added that the progressive decoupling of the real economy from the financial sector, together with outdated taxation, has exacerbated inequality. In addition to incorporating the SDGs into national development plans, Bárcena emphasized the need to involve the private sector and civil society in the 2030 Agenda, to achieve its envisioned economic, social and environmental inclusion, and called on private businesses to align with the Goals and pursue Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Businesses working in natural resources in the region, in particular, should collaborate with their governments to maximize collective benefits, she said.
The consultation meeting was supported by the Link Center of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso (Chile), the Government of Switzerland, the Government of the Netherlands and the Government of Norway. [ECLAC Press Release] [Consultation Press Release (Spanish)] [Consultation agenda (Spanish)] [Working Group information]