Statement by H.E. Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, Permanent Observer
of the Holy See to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva,
at the 12th Session of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group
on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights
Geneva, 12 October 2026
Mr. Chair,
At the outset, the Holy See Delegation would like to thank you for your leadership and to express its gratitude to the legal experts for their work during the intersessional consultations, as well as to all delegations for their constructive engagement.
As this process enters its final stages, the Holy See Delegation reaffirms its support for an instrument that places the human person at its center. After all “human rights are not an external addition to the person, but an expression of intrinsic human dignity, which the international community is called to protect and promote.”[1] Such an instrument should encompass all business activities, in particular those of a transnational character, while providing for proportionate obligations for smaller enterprises.
In this regard, the inclusion of robust provisions on due diligence throughout the value chain is particularly relevant. Although effective remedies are an essential component of the instrument, prevention must be embedded from the very beginning. Indeed, Pope Leo XIV calls for greater transparency throughout supply chains, so that no competitive advantage is built upon hidden exploitation.[2] This responsibility cannot be left to goodwill alone.
Mr. Chair,
The strength of any legal instrument lies in the breadth of the consensus that sustains it. For this reason, the text now under consideration should be based on terms that enjoy a shared understanding among States and on sources that have been negotiated and universally agreed upon.
The inclusion of terms and notions such as “sexual orientation and gender identity”, as well as other “gender”-related language, whether in the present text or in certain proposals, remains a contentious issue and cannot be accepted by this Delegation. The incorporation of such language would weaken the instrument, rendering it unnecessarily even more controversial, and diminishing the prospects for its broad acceptance and ratification. Therefore, if the intention is for the present document to promote full respect for human rights by transnational corporations and other business enterprises, this is not the correct approach.
The Holy See Delegation would like to encourage all Members to participate in this session with ambition and in a spirit of constructive dialogue. Following over a decade of work, those who have suffered harm as a result of business-related abuses deserve an instrument worthy of their dignity.
Thank you.