Shrinking public policy spaces for civil society
At the 31st ordinary session of the Human Rights Council, FIAN International warned that corporations are capturing public policy spaces, whilst civil society participation is being threatened.
Speaking at the high level segment panel, former FIAN international’s Secretary General Flavio Valente exposed the current situation of criminalizing human rights defenders. Currently, there is a systematic and brutal pattern of eviction, destruction of livelihoods and violations of human rights of indigenous peoples, peasants, fisherfolk, agricultural workers and other small-scale food producers. Behind most of these cases, one finds “development” initiatives which, although originally designed for the public interest, are being diverted to serve specific for-profit interests. “[People defending their human rights] should be physically here, not to speak 240 seconds, but to set the agenda of the Human Rights Council,” he stressed.
On this note, Valente warned the Council about the increasing influence of corporations on public policy spaces, as it is undermining people’s sovereignty and the legitimacy of government. Currently, the undue influence of powerful corporations is leading public institutions to be at the service of profit interests at the expense of democracy. “Governments should not forget that their legitimacy derives from peoples’ sovereignty and that peoples’ delegation of power is conditioned to the State meeting its human rights obligations,” he remarked.
On this note, Valente warned the Council about the increasing influence of corporations on public policy spaces, as it is undermining people’s sovereignty and the legitimacy of government. Currently, the undue influence of powerful corporations is leading public institutions to be at the service of profit interests at the expense of democracy. “Governments should not forget that their legitimacy derives from peoples’ sovereignty and that peoples’ delegation of power is conditioned to the State meeting its human rights obligations,” he remarked.
Civil society calls on the Human Rights Council to adopt measures to preserve human rights from corporate capture and reaffirm the centrality of multilateral intergovernmental policy spaces.
Read the statement here.