Access to justice and reparation for victims of human rights violations by business in Latin America

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Espacio de Redes and the EU-LAC Working Group[1] are organising an online discussion to identify recommendations for the European Union on access to justice and reparation in the framework of the new EU law on mandatory due diligence for companies in the field of human rights and the environment.

Over the last decades, Latin America has seen a regression in human rights and environmental protection. The private sector, including European transnational corporations, have led activities in a large number of sectors (extractive industries, agribusiness, mega-projects, public services) that have weakened the region's ecosystems and endangered the livelihoods of communities, particularly vulnerable populations in rural areas, Afro-descendants, peasants and indigenous peoples.

Speakers and presentations will focus on demonstrating through concrete examples the impacts of lack of due diligence by European companies (and/or European funds). Relevant regional and international instruments on access to justice and remedy will be discussed, in particular in view of the new EU law on due diligence.

Programme

Welcome by Alice Kooij – EU-LAC Working Group

Introduction: Pascal Durand, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe, France)

Latin America experiences:

• Soledad García Muñoz, Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights - Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
• Juan Carlos Flores – People’s front in defense of the land and water, Mexico
• Laura Montaño – CSO Roundtable on Business and Human Rights, Colombia

Exchange with the European Parliament: Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg) and Mónica Silvana González (S&D, Spain)

Q&A with the audience

Conclusions

For any questions, please contact Melanie Bernhofer.

[1] This event is organised by both the EU-LAC Working Group (a network composed of CONCORD, the EU-LAT Network, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, 11.11.11, CNCD-11.11.11, Oxfam, SOLIDAR, WSM, Coordinadora ONGD-España, the Oidhaco network and Pax Christi International) and by other networks working on Latin America, which are the PEP (Plataforma Europa Peru) and CIDSE.

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