Protecting
the Alien Tort Claims Act, an Important tool for Furthering Human Rights
Accountability
The
Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) is an important tool for workers who are
the victims of serious human rights violations. Under ATCA workers can
sue U.S. based multinational corporations if those corporations have been
complicit in violating their rights. Cases have been brought in U.S. courts,
for example, accusing American corporations of being complicit in the
murder of trade unionists in Colombia and Guatemala, and knowingly profiting
from the use of forced labor in Myanmar. Without ATCA, these workers would
have little or no recourse in their own countries where these abuses take
place. Human Rights First believes that ATCA is vital to protecting
workers’ rights worldwide, and that the legislative, executive and
judicial branches of government should strive to preserve it.
The
Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) is an important tool for workers who are
the victims of serious human rights violations. Under ATCA workers can
sue U.S. based multinational corporations if those corporations have been
complicit in violating their rights. Cases have been brought in U.S. courts,
for example, accusing American corporations of being complicit in the
murder of trade unionists in Colombia and Guatemala, and knowingly profiting
from the use of forced labor in Myanmar. Without ATCA, these workers would
have little or no recourse in their own countries where these abuses take
place. Human Rights First believes that ATCA is vital to protecting
workers’ rights worldwide, and that the legislative, executive and
judicial branches of government should strive to preserve it.