The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) invite you to a panel discussion on the occasion of the 2016 Forum on Business and Human Rights
Monday 14 November 2016, 11.40-13.00
Room XVII, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
As part of the 2016 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, the IBAHRI, FES and CESR are hosting an event on financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the role of corporate tax regimes in the realization of human rights.
The debate will explore States' obligations to prevent and protect individuals from the human rights implications of corporate tax abuses, as well as discussing the human rights responsibilities of business in that respect. The session will address key questions concerning businesses' responsibilities to prevent human rights risk in their tax planning and the avenues available to ensure the provision of effective remedy for tax abuse.
The session allows for representatives from tax law, civil society, government and human rights fields to collectively consider how the 'Protect, Respect and Remedy' framework – set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – can be applied to corporate taxation systems, at both national and international levels. It will also highlight the Principles as a tool to address corporate tax avoidance, drawing on the efforts of CESR and its partners.
Moderator:
- Caroline Dommen, Expert in Human Rights and Economic Issues
Welcoming remarks:
- Hubert René Schillinger, Office Director (Geneva), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
- Dr Helene Ramos dos Santos, Senior Fellow/UN liaison (Geneva), International Bar Association Human Rights Institute
Speakers:
- Manuel F. Montes, Senior Advisor on Finance and Development, South Centre, Member of the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT)
- Arnaud Martin, Attorney at law, Tax Expert, ABR Attorneys at Law LLC, Switzerland
- Matti Kohonen, Principal Adviser (Private Sector), Christian Aid
Concluding remarks:
- Anita Ramasastry, Member of the Working Group on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises
