On 24 April 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building where textiles for firms such as Mango, Benetton and Auchan were being produced, collapsed in Bangladesh. Over 1,000 people were killed and over 2,500 injured. The building was in catastrophic conditions but the slavery-like status of workers prevented them from successfully refusing to work in such conditions.

In 1984, a Pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, caused the world’s worst industrial disaster: gas and other toxic chemicals leaked, making their way in and around the towns surrounding the plant. Over 2,000 people died immediately. The security maintenance of the plant was insufficient.

In Nigeria, oil companies such as Shell, Agip and Total have degraded the country’s resources. The Nigeria Niger Delta region, with its extraordinary human and natural resources, has indeed been socially and ecologically destroyed.

In none of these cases victims have been duly compensated. It is time to put an end to the abuses of Transnational Corporations.

A treaty will be negotiated at the United Nations to regulate the work of Transnational Corporations and to establish a clear justice mechanism for citizens whose rights have been violated. However, the government of the United Kingdom is opposing this initiative and trying to block the process. As a result of such opposition, the treaty would not apply to British companies.

Sign this petition and ask the UK government to effectively protect population against human rights abuses by regulating the actions of Transnational Companies and by taking part in the negotiations of this international Treaty.

WILPF will be engaging in the negotiations to ensure the establishment of a strictframework through which Transnational Companies will no longer be able to put profit before people. To stay posted on the evolution of this process, tick on keep me updated on this campaign when signing the petition.