of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect to Human Rights (Geneva, 16-22 October 2026)
Established in 2014, the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect for Human Rights will hold its 12th session in Geneva from 16 to 22 October 2026. For one week, Member States will resume their negotiations on an international Legally Binding Instrument (LBI) on Business and Human and discuss the way forward.
On this occasion CIDSE and its member organisations are publishing today a position paper as a contribution to the discussions.
Progress made through the 2026 intersessional thematic consultations and the continued efforts of the Chair-Rapporteur and legal experts to identify areas of convergence and clarify the legal implications of different proposals is welcome but there are elements that remain insufficiently addressed.
In particular, the CIDSE position paper highlights concerns regarding those related to:
- Effective access to justice and remedy for individuals and communities;
- The recognition of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, in addition to environmental due diligence; and
- Corporate accountability under State regulation across the entire global value chains.
The paper concludes with a call for the way forward for the next draft of the document. The next phase of negotiations should prioritise substance over speed in order to develop a legally robust and effective instrument rather than accelerating the process. In this regard, the engagement of the European Union and its Member States will be crucial, not only to bridge differences, but also to help secure a strong, effective Legally Binding Instrument that puts affected people and communities at its centre.
Additional reading
Policy paper for the updated draft of the International legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business entrerprises: A child rights perspective. By ECPAT, the Human Rights Clinics of UFMG and PUCPR and DKA Austria. October 2026 (Full version – Summary)
CIDSE: Contact
Susana Hernández Torres, Corporate Regulation Officer, CIDSE (hernandez(at)cidse.org)
Cover image: Negotiating room, United Nations, Geneva. Credit CIDSE.