OECD Watch and a diverse coalition of Brazilian and international civil society are advocating for meaningful human rights and environmental reform in Brazil via Brazil’s ongoing process to join the OECD as a member state (‘accession’ process). We are urging OECD member governments to ensure a transparent and inclusive review of Brazil’s candidacy and require Brazil to implement important reforms strengthening its protection of human rights and the environment before considering granting Brazil membership.
This brief identifies ‘governance gaps’ in Brazil – such as underfunding of key ministries, passage of harmful laws or failure to implement existing good laws, inability to ensure accountability through the justice system, lack of public disclosure, exclusion of civil society and other stakeholders from decision-making bodies, and others – that are leading to serious human rights harms.
The brief presents the governance gaps and issues of concern in direct relation to the Core Principles that OECD committees must consider in evaluating Brazil’s alignment with its accession roadmap. The paper argues these gaps must be closed before Brazil can be considered ready for membership. The brief provides a list of policy and legal recommendations Brazil should take to close these gaps. The brief also provides an annex of case studies illustrating the human impacts of the gaps.
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