Business and human rights in the Inter-American System

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the two main bodies of the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS), have traditionally dealt with cases involving human rights violations by non-state actors. However, since 2005, they have progressively dealt with the harmful actions of business enterprises and other economic activities, contributing to the clarification of international human rights standards on the topic. In this regard, whether focusing on privatization, Indigenous Peoples’ rights or dangerous business activities, they have been able to interpret the scope of state obligations in relation to non-state actors, and most notably the state duty to ensure human rights, on the basis of which the duty to protect enshrined in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights has been built. Through its work on the promotion, dissemination, and protection of human rights in the context of business activities, the IAHRS is an important contributor to the evolving understanding of international human rights law.