All individuals are entitled to human rights. States, by virtue of the international treaties they sign and their national legislation, must respect and ensure respect for human rights within and beyond their borders. In Africa and throughout the world, the globalization of economies does not go hand in hand with the universality of human rights. Human rights are often disregarded by foreign multinationals seeking natural resources to develop their activities, to the detriment of indigenous communities whose survival depends on these very same resources.
In its vocation of defending vulnerable populations and promoting equity in access to natural resources, CICODEV in partnership with FIAN International and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) organized a capacity building workshop for CSOs and CBOs on extraterritorial obligations – ETOs, in order to strengthen their capacity to fight against violations of human rights. In addition to raising awareness, the interaction with the participants allowed them to hear testimonies on specific cases of human rights violations of communities in Senegal in the Koudiadiene, Pambal and Diogo zones, among others, by foreign multinationals active in the exploitation of phosphate, Zircon and other precious metals destined for the European market, in complete disregard for national and international legislation concerning the exploitation of natural resources. This workshop also supports continent-wide plea for the United Nations to adopt a binding treaty against multinationals active in agribusiness, forestry and extractive resources, in order to ensure better respect for human rights.