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From 20-24 October 2025, 63 states came together at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council to negotiate for the eleventh time an international, legally binding instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises (also known as the UN Treaty). To date, there has been a lack of effective mechanisms to hold companies accountable for human rights and environmental violations. Existing trade and investment agreements promote deregulation and prevent stronger environmental and human rights standards. A legally binding instrument can give human rights priority over profit interests and require companies to take responsibility along their entire value chain.
Celia Sudhoff is Program Director Global Justice and Corporate Responsibility at the Global Policy Forum Europe (GPF).
This year’s debate was particularly centering on the form of international cooperation. Civil society groups warned of the growing influence of economic interests, which threatened to increasingly hijack the negotiation process (“corporate capture”). Despite controversial positions, progress was made on including the right to a clean environment and better access to justice. With the adoption of the roadmap for 2026, a structured approach to find further convergence has been agreed, but given the political and financial hurdles, it remains uncertain whether an agreement on a binding treaty will be reached in the near future.
The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation has been following the process at the United Nations for many years and regularly reports on developments in cooperation with the Global Policy Forum Europe (GPF). This briefing paper provides information on the most important developments and results of the eleventh session and gives political context.
