The UN's top human rights forum decided today to launch talks on an international treaty that would hold corporations to account for abuses, despite resistance from the West.
The 47-member UN Human Rights Council ruled that while countries have the prime responsiblity for upholding international law, businesses cannot be left off the hook.
The treaty plan was the brainchild of Ecuador, South Africa, Bolivia and Venezuela, which mustered 20 votes in favour, including from Russia, China and India.
Fourteen countries voted against, including the United States, Japan and European Union members of the council, while 13 abstained, among them Brazil.
The council will now task governments with drawing up a legally-binding treaty for transnational corporations and other businesses.
Negotiations on a treaty are due to begin in 2015.
Ecuador and South Africa's delegates said that tough international rules are needed, citing what they said was wrongdoing by oil giant Chevron in the Amazon, or Shell in Nigeria.
They also spotlighted last year's collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh -- a facility that turned out clothing for a host of leading Western brands -- which was one of the deadliest factory disasters in history.
Western nations said such a treaty was unnecessary, given that the council already adopted a set of guiding principles for corporations two years ago.
India said those guidelines lacked teeth.
Britain's delegate warned that countries which signed such a treaty could discourage investors, adding that the issue of corporate wrongdoing was a matter for national courts.
