Brief description of the presentation: Extractive activities, such as mining projects in Honduras, have affected collective and individual rights of indigenous peoples, such as their right to prior, free and informed consent, the right to water, their access to, use and control over land, and have negatively impacted on the enjoyment of a healthy environment. In this context, the human rights impacts on indigenous communities have received little attention from the government as well as from transnational enterprises involved, while human rights defenders rasing critical voices have been facing increased risks.
Objectives of the presentation: Against the backdrop of these challenges, the presentation will feature a civil society perspective on what would be effective measures by government, transnational corporations, other business and investors to meet the requirements set out in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in such a context. It will also offer the opportunity to explore existing avenues for improvement, including through meaningful participation of affected communities in decisions affecting their rights, as well as in the context of the possible development of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
