For example, last year was the most dangerous year on record for human rights defenders as 227 were killed while campaigning on land and environmental issues. Women are being failed massively. They are over-represented in precarious work with poor working conditions. They are vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse. Furthermore, indigenous women defenders are vulnerable to evictions and dispossession to make way for large-scale development projects. Developing a UN binding treaty or mandatory due diligence law is not anti-business. Many of the leading global brands and investors have called for corporate accountability legislation. Such legislation will create a level playing field where all companies are obliged to invest and improve their human rights performance in a systematic manner rather than leaving that to chance.

We will continue, as a coalition, to work, like Oxfam Ireland, with progressive businesses in Ireland and Europe to support effective legislation. Strong laws are really needed that require all companies to identify, prevent and address their human rights and environmental risks across the entire business operation. The coalition has produced two reports to support the development of such laws. The first report calls for a transformative treaty that clearly details how Ireland can make progress towards a UN binding treaty. The second report is our new one that is entitled Make It Your Business. It details how Ireland can ensure businesses respect human rights and the environment through the development of domestic legislation.

There are high levels of pubic support for corporate accountability. Recently Ipsos polled a group of people on behalf of the coalition. Ipsos discovered that 81% of Irish people want Irish companies that act unethically in low-income countries to be subjected to legally binding regulation in Ireland. Ireland is a global leader in protecting human rights. Now it is crucial that Ireland plays a role to prevent the abuse of human rights and prevents environmental abuse.

I thank the members for listening. I am delighted to introduce the human rights lawyer, Ms Rosa María Mateus Parra, who will share her experience in Colombia. As the Chairman said, Ms Mateus Parra will speak in Spanish. Members have a copy of the translation in a Word document. We are lucky to have her here today and I would like to give her a warm welcome.