Business, Human Rights, Whistleblowing at Stake for Latin America-Caribbean region
Stakeholders from business, civil society, government and interest groups will meet in Bogota, Colombia from July 13-15 for the VII Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights for Latin America and the Caribbean, which will set the agenda for the region, including whistleblower protection.
It was organized by the Office in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in collaboration with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and support of the European Union, the Colombian Ombudsman's Office, the Universidad del Externado and the government of Colombia.
While the focus of the forum is on business and human rights, the role of whistleblowers and journalists will be a central subject of debate, the event coming against the backdrop of a wave of violence against journalists in Mexico, and the killing of a British environmental reporter and indigenous expert in Brazil.
Just before the gathering, Human Rights Watch released a report accusing Cuba of systematic human rights violations to punish anti-government protesters who took part in July 2021 demonstrations.
“This is an essential forum to discuss business and human rights across the region, facing some of the most pressing challenges of our time, including corruption, gender equality and environmental rights,” said Bruno Galizzi, a panel speaker.
He is a Project Manager – Spain and LatAm for Blueprint for Free Speech in Melbourne, which promotes issues including journalist and whistleblower protection and human rights.
Galizzi has worked to promote whistleblower protection in a number of countries including Spain through the European Directive, and is co-founder of Latamleaks, a network advancing an agenda to safeguard people who report wrongdoing.
“The region has few or no integral legislations to protect them, developing a comprehensive normative framework to protect those exposing crime, but especially human rights abuses, including acts against indigenous communities, and other vulnerable groups,” he said.
The forum is designed to help bridge that gap and involve companies and public authorities during a time when human rights is further eroding and journalists and whistleblowers are under siege and at risk from powerful interests.
“There is a huge opportunity to improve free speech and human right protection in the region. We consider that the protection of whistleblowers is a key part of it,” said Galizzi.
He added: “The development of legislation protecting those speaking up through meaningful change in organizations in other countries and regions will have to be part of a collective effort. It’s still a challenge to learn how to build this in LatAm.”
Since its first session in Medellin in Colombia in 2013, the forum has become a key gathering on business and human rights for governments, businesses and civil society alike in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Courting Transparency
Over more than half a decade, the Regional Forum has established itself as a key meeting in the field of business and human rights, and one of the most important human rights meetings in the Americas.
A session organized by Article 19’s Mexico and Central America Office will discuss the role of companies in creating human rights mechanisms to also tackle the problem of corruption and protecting whistleblowers.
The event will also present the experience of the Business Integrity and Transparency Register, an initiative developed by the Anti-Corruption Office of Argentina so that companies and entities can show their commitment to ethical business and a human rights perspective.
The forum is also aimed at using mandatory due diligence legislation, national action plans on business and human rights and other measures to improve the effectiveness of grievances mechanisms and so that “rights holders can exercise their human rights and have access to justice when abuses occur.”
Topics range from how to deal with a lack of judicial independence and misuse of the justice system to silence those defending their rights, promoting responsible business conduct and accountability and remedies for victims of business-related human rights abuses.
One of the key questions summarizes it: “Today there is a consensus that companies have the duty to generate mechanisms for the respect of human rights, as well as to push for key changes in this area. While this is true, how can or should they do it?”
It was also noted that the role of whistleblowers was paramount along with
“The protection systems that guarantee the prevention of reprisals or affectations to their rights as a consequence of alerting and providing information on risks or impacts to human rights.”
Galizzi said the forum “is a huge opportunity and perfect environment to call different stakeholders to act on this, to start working on building this regulatory framework.”
Blueprint for Free Speech appreciates Article 19 and R3D – Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales for their support enabling participation in the forum.