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African activists demand binding UN treaty to hold corporations accountable – EnviroNews
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Activists and community representatives from across Africa have called on African governments to support a legally binding United Nations treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses, environmental destruction and other harmful business practices.
The call comes ahead of the 12th session of the United Nations treaty negotiations scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 19 to 23, 2026.
The activists made the demand during a virtual convergence titled “Confronting Corporate Impunity in Africa: Towards a People’s Declaration on an Internationally Legally Binding Instrument on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect to Human Rights,” organised by the Groundtruth Africa Network (GtAN).
The meeting brought together representatives of civil society organisations and affected communities from across Africa to develop a common position on corporate accountability, access to justice and the protection of communities affected by the activities of multinational businesses.
Discussions highlighted persistent oil pollution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, the impact of solid mineral mining in Zimbabwe and environmental destruction associated with large agricultural corporations across Africa.
Participants argued that the growing influence of transnational corporations, coupled with weaknesses in national regulatory and judicial systems, has left many communities exposed to environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods and human rights violations.
Among the speakers were Volahery Andrianmanantenasoa, Executive Director of CONCRET-S/Human Rights, Madagascar; the Executive Director of the Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG), Zimbabwe; Ahmed Elseidi, Board Chairman of the Egyptian Foundation for Environmental Rights (EFER); Zaki Mamdo, Senior Campaign Coordinator of the StopACOP Coalition, South Africa; Chief Constance Meju, Publisher of AmazonaAfrica Magazine; and Maimoni Ubrei-Joe, a climate justice campaigner with the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) and Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF).
Ubrei-Joe moderated the convergence, while Professor Carl-Isibor Oshodi served as rapporteur.
Demand for Enforceable Corporate Obligations
In a communiqué adopted at the end of the meeting, participants called for an international legal instrument establishing clear and enforceable human rights and environmental obligations for transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
They stressed that corporate accountability should not depend solely on voluntary commitments or corporate social responsibility programmes, insisting that businesses must be legally responsible for the consequences of their operations and commercial relationships.
The proposed treaty, they said, should reinforce the primacy of human rights over trade and investment agreements while complementing strong national laws and institutions.
They also advocated mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence requirements compelling corporations to identify, prevent, mitigate and address actual and potential harm arising from their activities.
Such requirements, according to the participants, should incorporate meaningful consultation with affected communities and workers.
The activists further called for appropriate civil, administrative and, where applicable, criminal liability for corporations and individuals responsible for human rights abuses.
They maintained that complex corporate structures should not be allowed to shield parent companies from accountability when abuses are committed through subsidiaries, contractors, subcontractors, joint ventures or other business relationships.
Access to Justice and Compensation
The proposed treaty, the participants said, should guarantee victims meaningful access to courts and other effective remedy mechanisms by addressing excessive litigation costs, judicial delays, inadequate legal assistance, limited access to evidence and jurisdictional barriers.
They also identified difficulties enforcing judgments and other obstacles associated with cross-border litigation as issues requiring urgent attention.
Remedies for affected communities, they said, should include restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, guarantees against the recurrence of abuses and environmental restoration.
The participants also called for mechanisms enabling corporations headquartered or domiciled in one country to be held accountable for human rights violations associated with their operations and business relationships in other jurisdictions.
To strengthen international enforcement, they proposed effective cooperation among countries in investigations, evidence gathering, information sharing, mutual legal assistance, prosecution of serious offences and enforcement of judgments.
The convergence further advocated the establishment of an International Tribunal on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations, with jurisdiction over businesses undertaking transnational activities as defined by the proposed treaty.
Protection of Environmental and Human Rights Defenders
The activists called for explicit protections for environmental and human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, community leaders and others who expose corporate abuses.
They said these groups must be protected against intimidation, violence, harassment, criminalisation and retaliation.
The proposed instrument should also guarantee meaningful participation by Indigenous Peoples and affected communities in decisions concerning projects that affect their lands, territories, natural resources, cultures and livelihoods.
Participants called for recognition of the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent for Indigenous Peoples and affected communities.
On labour rights, they urged the treaty to reinforce corporate responsibilities regarding occupational health and safety, freedom of association, collective bargaining, decent work, and protection against forced and child labour.
They also stressed the need to recognise the differentiated impacts of corporate activities on women, girls and other groups experiencing structural inequalities, ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making, complaints and remedy processes.
Environmental Protection Must Be Central
The convergence emphasised the relationship between environmental degradation and human rights, calling for the proposed treaty to address pollution, ecosystem destruction, biodiversity loss, climate-related harm and the destruction of natural resources.
Participants warned that the global transition towards renewable energy and low-carbon development must respect human rights and should not reproduce extractive practices that disproportionately harm African communities.
They maintained that investments promoted in the name of economic development or the energy transition must not undermine environmental integrity, community rights and sustainable livelihoods.
Call for African Governments to Unite
The participants urged African governments to strengthen the independence, resources and technical capacity of regulatory agencies responsible for overseeing corporate activities.
They also called for stronger national laws regulating transnational corporations, effective enforcement of environmental, labour and human rights standards, and meaningful community participation in decisions affecting people’s lives and environments.
Governments were further urged to protect human rights and environmental defenders, strengthen judicial and non-judicial remedies, improve transparency in corporate ownership and contracts, and ensure accountability for environmental and human rights abuses.
The activists called for greater cooperation among African countries in cross-border investigations and enforcement, alongside support for an ambitious and legally binding UN treaty.
They urged governments to ensure that national development strategies do not encourage investment at the expense of human rights, environmental protection and community welfare.
The communiqué stressed the need for African countries to form a united and effective negotiating bloc to ensure that the experiences of African communities affected by corporate abuses are reflected in the proposed international framework.
Message to UN Treaty Negotiators
Addressing the UN treaty process, the participants argued that corporate activities have become increasingly global, while legal accountability remains largely confined to national jurisdictions.
They said this imbalance enables corporations to exploit differences between national legal systems and weak enforcement mechanisms.
The activists therefore urged negotiating states to establish common and enforceable standards that prevent businesses from evading responsibility through complex corporate structures or cross-border operations.
They also called for the treaty to reflect the experiences of communities across Africa and other parts of the Global South, which have historically faced significant difficulties in holding powerful corporations accountable.
Civil Society Pledges Continued Advocacy
The participating organisations and civil society representatives pledged to sustain advocacy for stronger corporate accountability, document the experiences of affected communities, support environmental and human rights defenders, and engage African governments throughout the international treaty process.
They affirmed that African voices must remain central to developing an international accountability framework and that the experiences of communities affected by corporate activities must inform both national implementation and global negotiations.
The participants maintained that African people should not have to choose between development and fundamental rights, insisting that corporate investment must contribute to sustainable development while respecting human rights, environmental integrity and community interests.
They concluded that voluntary corporate commitments and individual national legal systems alone are insufficient to address corporate abuses, particularly where laws are weak, fragmented or poorly enforced.
The proposed People’s Declaration on Corporate Impunity in Africa will be presented as a collective contribution to the UN treaty process and an advocacy instrument for African governments, treaty negotiators, UN institutions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Other partners that endorsed the declaration include the Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), Neferok Development Initiative (NDI), Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), African Centre for Environmental and Rural Development (ACERD), and FIDEP Foundation, alongside African people and affected communities.