Equity

Perú Equidad specializes in enforcing social and economic rights, with a focus on companies and human rights, labor rights. The organization focuses on policy influencing and strategically uses instruments provided in international treaties to enforce rights. In addition to cases of human rights violations by (inter)national companies, the organization also brings to light corruption scandals of companies, and their impact on human rights.

For example, Peru Equidad uses the provisions that states include in free trade agreements. In these agreements, they commit to respecting labour rights and not to engage in social dumping. In collaboration with the trade unions, Peru Equidad draws up analyses of the real situation and the lack of real protection of labour rights by the Peruvian State; through specific regimes that curtail the rights of workers in specific sectors, insufficient control of companies, etc. On this basis, Peru Equidad has drawn up complaints against the Peruvian State, for not complying with the relevant provisions in the free trade agreements with the US and the European Union. In the latter case, the complaint was extended to also include the lack of compliance with the commitments in the field of the environment, in collaboration with other partners of 11.11.11, RED GE, DAR, Cooperacción and 11.11.11. itself). Based on this complaint, the Peruvian government is put under pressure to take effective measures to improve the situation in question.  

Perú Equidad also tries to enforce the extraterritorial obligations of transnational corporations in other ways: by advocating for a UN treaty with binding rules for companies regarding rights, by working in Peru (via the civil society platform on companies and human rights) on the implementation of the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights. The organization recently worked out a bill on the duty of care for companies.

Peru Equidad has developed sensational reports on the 'behaviour of companies': at first it was only about respecting labour rights, but now they also systematically follow up on what companies do in the environmental field and whether they meet their fiscal obligations. Reports were developed on the behaviour of Chilean, German and Spanish companies in Peru. The reports are presented in the countries themselves, in collaboration with trade unions and other social organisations. As a result, the companies described feel strongly 'addressed' and feel obliged to improve their behaviour.

Now that Peru has the ambition to join the OECD countries, Perú Equidad has developed a series of recommendations that the Peruvian government should comply with regarding social and economic rights, if it wants to make its accession a reality.  

Another important task of Peru Equidad is to conduct 'strategic lawsuits' around various rights. One of them, for example, focuses on the recognition of rights of a same-sex partner: Peru Equidad is pleading in court the case of a Peruvian who married his partner abroad, whose rights regarding property, inheritance, etc. are not recognized by the Peruvian state. These are groundbreaking lawsuits that can open the way for many other couples.  

The organization also defends the rights of indigenous communities. It promotes and raises awareness among local and indigenous communities about human rights standards. For example, Perú Equidad has also given impetus to an interesting legal case in which an indigenous community was able to effectively obtain self-determination (over its own community).