With the aim of strengthening the actions of the institution’s staff, it became clear that it was necessary to integrate the Doctrinal Framework and Principles of Action into the institution’s operations. To this end, a process of dissemination and training was carried out involving the Regional Ombuds Offices and the central-level Directorates and Delegations, so that these actors could take ownership of the tools developed in the aforementioned documents and use them as a framework for addressing specific situations involving the State, companies, and communities.
The project focused not only on the perspective of the Office of the Ombudsman, but also on complementing it with the views of local actors regarding the exercise of rights in the context of business operations. Regional dialogue sessions were held, organized according to different types of participants:
i) staff of the Office of the Ombudsman,
ii) social leaders,
iii) officials from local or regional government entities, and
iv) representatives from the business sector.
Through these dialogues, insights were gathered on how participants perceived that economic activities were affecting or infringing upon the human rights of individuals and communities. This analysis began with situations identified by the actors themselves and aimed to determine which rights were being violated and which dimensions of those rights were being affected—understanding how economic activities impact the essential elements or dimensions of human rights.
At the end of this process, the document “Identification of Situations of Threat to Human Rights in Business Activity Contexts” was presented. This publication compiles and analyzes these perceptions using a rights-based framework, showing how economic activities can have negative impacts on essential elements of human rights. The document is intended to serve as a practical tool for Ombudsman staff and to strengthen their capacity for preventive action across the national territory.
In addition to this document, two educational booklets were produced for the Office of the Ombudsman. These are intended to serve as training materials for staff and as educational resources for external actors, such as the general public, on the meaning of protection, respect, and remediation of human rights in the context of economic activities.
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Report from the meeting with workers and trade unions
Testimony from workers and trade unions
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