Trócaire is leading a campaign on business and human rights in response to widespread reports of corporate human rights abuses in the communities in which we work. This includes the displacement of communities, violent evictions, pollution of land and destruction of livelihoods. This has a disproportionate impact on women and indigenous communities.

Killings of land, environmental and indigenous defenders are increasing year on year. Human rights defenders are increasingly being labelled as terrorists and criminals. Since 2015, more than 2,000 attacks on activists working on human rights issues related to business have been documented. In 2019 alone, 304 human rights defenders in 31 countries were targeted and killed for their work.

There is a major gap in the regulation of corporate activities by states and in access to remedy for victims of human rights violations. It should not be a voluntary option for companies to choose whether they respect human rights or not. Stronger regulation is needed both nationally and internationally to provide a legal framework to ensure corporations do not violate human rights in their operations.

Trócaire calls on Ireland to:

• Adopt mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation, to ensure businesses respect human rights across their activities and value chain and to establish a corporate duty to respect human rights.
• Support and contribute to the development of a UN binding treaty on business and human rights to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises, which will complement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• Advance EU mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation.

Read more:

• ‘Stand for Global and Climate Justice’ Priorities for the 33^rd Dáil Eireann
• Read more: Making a Killing Report
• Explainer: Why do we need a Business & Human Rights Treaty?
• More info on our campaign 

Trócaire has worked in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 2002. We work together with both Israeli and Palestinian civil society organisations to support people affected by conflict and human rights violations.

Trócaire has worked in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 2002. We work together with both Israeli and Palestinian civil society organisations to support people affected by conflict and human rights violations.

These settlements are illegal under international law. Trócaire is supporting Palestinian communities on the ground who are forcibly removed from their land in order to make way for these settlements.

Israeli and foreign businesses involved in activities related to these settlements maintain and sustain Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise and thereby contribute to violations of international law.

At present, there is a historic opportunity for Ireland to take action on this issue. We can pass legislation that would make it illegal in Ireland to sell goods from Israeli settlements.

A majority of the Seanad and the Dáil have already voted in favour of the Occupied Territories Bill. However, it now needs the support of the 33rd Dáil to pass into legislation.

Read more:

• ‘Stand for Global and Climate Justice’ Priorities for the 33^rd Dáil Eireann
• Explainer: What you need to know about the Occupied Territories Bill
• Report: ’Sustaining Injustice’ : EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories
• More info on our campaign 

Ireland has a strong history of leadership in working to eliminate global hunger. However, despite the progress in reducing global hunger over recent decades, there are more than 820 million people living in hunger.

Since 2015, the prevalence of undernourishment has stagnated. The absolute number of people living in hunger is again rising. More than a quarter of the world’s population, some 2 billion people, do not have regular access to nutritious and sufficient food.

On this evidence, the current global agricultural food system will not deliver on the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030. It is clear that current agricultural and food policies are leaving a large number of the world’s poorest people behind.

Furthermore, industrial agricultural systems are contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. For these reasons, there is an urgent need for a global transition towards more sustainable and equitable agriculture and food systems.

Internationally, Ireland can renew its leadership role in combatting hunger by promoting transitions towards sustainable and resilient agricultural and food systems. Systems that deliver on the adequate right to food for all, advance social equity and address the challenges of climate change.

Trócaire calls on Ireland to:

• Actively support international processes, including those at the Committee on World Food Security, designed to deliver sustainable and transformative food systems in support of the 2030 ambition of zero hunger.
• Implement national policies across key sectors, including the agriculture and food sector that deliver the total emission reductions Ireland is obligated to meet under international climate agreements.

Read more:

• ‘Stand for Global and Climate Justice’ Priorities for the 33^rd Dáil Eireann
• Report :“Food Democracy: Feeding The World Sustainably”