On occasion of the EU-CELAC Summit, collectives and organisations from Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Brussels during three Days of Mobilization for Peoples Sovereignty against the power of multinational corporations and the Architecture of Impunity established through Free Trade and Investment Treaties.
The participants shared their strategies in rejecting the neoliberal and austerity policies and demanded fundamental changes the extractivist policies. Various testimonies recounted the deposition of territories, displacement of population and environment destruction. The murder and disappearance of human rights defenders in Latin America also highlighted -among whom 116 land defenders who were killed in Latin America in 2014.
Human Rights violations are often executed with the compliance of local and national authorities, which protect the interests of European (and Latin American) multinational corporations that invest in the region. In fact the numerous existing bilateral trade and investment treaties protect multinationals that violate human rights as in the Chevron case in Ecuador.
The second EU-CELAC Summit is developed under the theme: “Shaping our common future: working for a prosperous , cohesive and sustainable societies for our citizens”. However the networks denounced that bi-lateral relations are centred on the multiplication and development of Free Trade Agreements. New agreements that will affect both regions are currently under negotiation – TTIP, TISA and TPP.
At the same time EU governments do not participate constructively in the negotiation of the international binding treaty on multinational corporations and human rights, as approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2014 (A/HRC/26/L.22/Rev.1), aiming for binding obligations on to transnational corporations to respect human rights.
Delegates from Latin American organizations met with the European network of trade unions and civil society organizations “Alter Summit” to exchange about the experiences of popular resistances against austerity policies. Networks from both regions support the audit of the public debt that is being done in Greece to cancel all illegitimate debt.
In the final act of the Days of Mobilization representatives from Latin American communities affected by the operations of multinational corporations made a tour in the European quarter where there is a high concentration of lobby firms that work for the major conglomerates of multinational corporations. Representatives from the communities affected by human rights violations had the opportunity to understand the mechanisms that multinationals use to influence the European institutions.
Wendy Cruz (La Via Campesina Honduras): The European investments and the big multinationals have caused inequality and aggravated poverty in our countries.”
Cecilia Olivet (Transnational Institute): “In the controversies related to international investments, the multinational corporations can sue a government that has taken a decision that the multinational considers might be prejudicial for their profits. These arbitration tribunals are increasingly protected by the free trade agreements.”
Maria Eugenia Garcés (Association of affected by Chevron): “The oil company Chevron promotes in Ecuador a system to isolate those who aim to access justice and has spend millions of dollars in a judicial system that lasts 22 years.”
Additional resources:
Global Map of documented human rights violations for multinational corporations
Blog with summary of Days of Mobilization
