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March 25, 2022

Andrew Campbell 

After 17 years of efforts, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) finally vindicated the human rights of Miskito divers in August 2021. After they filed charges against State of Honduras, total number of divers who are illness, injuries or handicaps, or death is almost 15,000.

This indicative adjudication is known as the Miskito Standards. It legitimizes the effective involvement of Latin American governments on business and human rights. In compliance with the Standards, enterprises should protect the divers with safety equipment and training.

Unfortunately, the current laws allow companies to legally avoid responsibility and liability for damages resulting from human rights violations. It is suggested that the issue be resolved at both national level and international level. The national level imposes mandatory human rights due diligence laws and an international legally binding treaty on Business and Human Rights.