Protecting the Defenders: Exploring the Role of Global Corporations and Treaties
Publisher: E-International Relations
Author(s): Ian Granit
Date: 2020
Topics: Governance
Countries: Colombia
The killing and human rights abuses against environmental defenders are increasing rapidly (Butt et al., 2019). Latin America has the highest prevalence of human rights abuses and murders of environmental defenders, stemming out of a wide array of connected causes (Glazebrook & Opoku, 2018). One of the significant root-causes of the killing and abuse of environmental defenders in Latin America is the presence of large global corporations. Global corporations engage in projects that cause environmental degradation and exacerbate the process, which forces opposition from people and communities who depend on the environment for their survival (Global Witness, 2019a). Global corporations are thus often involved in human rights abuses against environmental defenders who oppose their business activities (Glazebrook & Opoku, 2018). Global corporations are, however, seldom held accountable for their involvement in human rights abuses.