Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises

Questionnaire to governments

Resolution 2005/69 of the Human Rights Commission, establishing the mandate of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises call upon him, inter alia, (i) to elaborate on the role of States in effectively regulating and adjudicating the role of transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights, including through international cooperation; and (ii) to compile a compendium of best practices of States. In May 2006, the Special Representative sent a questionnaire to Governments, inviting them to provide him with the background information required to respond fully to these provisions of the mandate.

Governments were asked to more broadly identify current practices of regulating, adjudicating, and otherwise influencing the role of corporations with respect to human rights. Questionnaire to Governments [English | French | Spanish] A summary of those responses, which the Special Representative considered an important contribution to his mandate, was included in document A/HRC/4/35/Addendum 3.

Human Rights Council Resolution 8/7 welcomed the SRSG’s framework for business and human rights and extended the Special Representative’s mandate with a view to “operationalize” the framework and provide concrete guidance to States and businesses. As a follow up to the 2006 survey, the Special Representative sent out a second Questionnaire to Governments [English | Spanish], inviting them to share with the SRSG the corporate social responsibility policies/action plans they have been developing. These policies, including whether and how governments incorporate human rights considerations, will be compiled into a compendium that will be useful to all actors.

All information on the 2009 consultation can be found here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/globalization/business/consultation102009.htm