Protecting and Realising the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant peoples and Local Communities in the Context of Business and Human Rights

Protecting and Realising the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant peoples and Local Communities in the Context of Business and Human Rights is a new position paper co-authored by Indigenous, Afro-descendant, local community and civil society leaders who stand up daily against business harms to their human rights and the environment – harms connected to UK businesses and financial institutions.

“In light of the lack of mandatory measures in the UK to ensure the respect of our human rights and the environment, and drawing from lessons learnt in the EU context, we have collectively defined a set of key principles that a future UK corporate accountability law must include in order to be effective for Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant peoples and local communities. By presenting these, the position paper both fills a gap in, and complements, the sizeable body of literature on business and human rights, and supports calls by civil society in the UK for a ‘Business, Human Rights and Environment Act”
– excerpt from the paper.

The collective positions contained in the position paper were developed and agreed by the co-authors during in-person consultations held in November 2024 with two members of the Corporate Justice Coalition – Peace Brigades International and Forest Peoples Programme.

The position paper brings together perspectives from diverse contexts including the Wampís Nation (Peru), Liberia, Colombia and Indonesia. The authors highlight the types of human rights and environmental harms they have experienced, the difficulties they have had when trying to hold business enterprises to account, and the barriers they have faced in achieving justice and remedy. Although they come from different parts of the world, there are many similarities in the challenges they have confronted.

Crucially, this paper offers clear recommendations on the actions that the UK Government must take in order to uphold its responsibilities under international human rights law protect communities around the world and our shared planet from corporate abuse. Together, the authors call on the UK Government to:

• Introduce a Business Human Rights and Environment Act, in line with the key principles set out in the position paper,

• Fully recognise the collective human rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, and local communities where applicable, and

• Ensure direct funding is channelled to the ground.

This paper is an essential new resource that provides valuable access to knowledge and insight from diverse stakeholders who best understand the impacts that UK corporations are having around the world and the measures that the UK Government must take in order to protect rights and end corporate abuse.

Image caption: Some of the authors, from left to right: Héctor Jaime Vinasco, The Cañamomo and Lomaprieta Indigenous Reserve, Colombia; Mina Beyan, Social Entrepreneurs
for Sustainable Development, Liberia; Tsanim Evaristo Wajai Asamat and Pamuk Teófilo Kukush Pati, The Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís
Nation; Norman Jiwan, Lembaga Bentang Alam Hijau and TuK Indonesia and Tigor Gemdita Hutapea, PUSAKA. Credit: PBI UK

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