E/C.12/GC/24 corporations, States should combat transfer pricing practices and deepen international tax cooperation, and explore the possibility to tax multinational groups of companies as single firms, with developed countries imposing a minimum corporate income tax rate during a period of transition. Lowering the rates of corporate tax solely with a view to attracting investors encourages a race to the bottom that ultimately undermines the ability of all States to mobilize resources domestically to realize Covenant rights. As such, this practice is inconsistent with the duties of the States parties to the Covenant. Providing excessive protection for bank secrecy and permissive rules on corporate tax may affect the ability of States where economic activities are taking place to meet their obligation to mobilize the maximum available resources for the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights.88 IV. Remedies 38. In discharging their duty to protect, States parties should both create appropriate regulatory and policy frameworks and enforce such frameworks. Therefore, effective monitoring, investigation and accountability mechanisms must be put in place to ensure accountability and access to remedies, preferably judicial remedies, for those whose Covenant rights have been violated in the context of business activities. States parties should inform individuals and groups of their rights and the remedies accessible to them pertaining to the Covenant rights in the context of business activities, ensuring specifically that information and guidance, including human rights impact assessments, are accessible to indigenous peoples. 89 They also should provide businesses with relevant information, training and support, ensuring that they are made aware of the duties of the State under the Covenant.90 A. General principles 39. States parties must provide appropriate means of redress to aggrieved individuals or groups and ensure corporate accountability. 91 This should preferably take the form of ensuring access to independent and impartial judicial bodies: the Committee has underlined that “other means [of ensuring accountability] used could be rendered ineffective if they are not reinforced or complemented by judicial remedies”.92 40. The guidelines on remedies for victims of gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law 93 provide useful indications as to the obligations that follow for States from the general obligation to provide access to effective remedies. In particular, States should: take all measures necessary to prevent rights violations; where such preventative measures fail, thoroughly investigate violations and take appropriate actions against alleged offenders; provide victims with effective access to justice, irrespective of who may ultimately be the bearer of responsibility for the violation; and provide effective remedies to victims, including reparation. 41. It is imperative for the full realization of the Covenant rights that remedies be available, effective and expeditious. This requires that victims seeking redress must have prompt access to an independent public authority, which must have the power to determine 88 89 90 91 92 93 12 See E/C.12/GBR/CO/6, paras. 16 and 17; and CEDAW/C/CHE/CO/4-5, para. 41. See the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, art. 14; A Business Reference Guide: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, pp. 30 and 31; and A/68/279, para. 56 (d). Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, principle 8. See the Committee’s general comment No. 9 (1998) on the domestic application of the Covenant, para. 2. Ibid., para. 3. See also I.D.G. v. Spain, paras. 14 and 15. See General Assembly resolution 60/147, for the Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law), art. 3 (a)-(d).