CASE OVERVIEW
Background Information
Corporate responsibility for human rights has been avidly discussed in the United Nations and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights were published in 2011. The need for a legally binding human rights declaration is also currently under discussion.
The State party is encouraged to set out clearly the expectation that all business enterprises domiciled in its territory and/or subject to its jurisdiction respect human rights standards in accordance with the Covenant throughout their operations.
OUR ACTION
KTNC Watch continues to encourage the Korean Government to observe the standards of UN conventions by submitting reports and lobbying politicians. KTNC Watch participated in the session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 2015, and submitted parallel reports to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2017 and to the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2019. KTNC Watch also acted as secretariat when the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights visited Korea in 2016. In 2017 KTNC Watch contributed to the NGO report submitted to the Human Rights Council and attended the Human Rights Council session on the Republic of Korea. KTNC Watch also monitors discussions on legally binding business and human rights related conventions. KTNC Watch calls on the Korean Government to adhere to its extraterritorial obligations.