http://www.business-humanrights.org Tracking the positive and negative impact of over 4000 companies worldwide. en-gb Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:37:35 +0100 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:37:35 +0100 http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Webfactory avery@business-humanrights.org avery@business-humanrights.org http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/179048 Judge Oberdorfer of the District of Columbiaruled that there was sufficient evidence for a jury to decide whetherExxon should be held liable for the actions of Indonesian soldiers who, while guarding Exxon assets, committed human rights abuses. [Exxon's] Arun Project was based in Aceh. In the 1980's the Gerekan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) or the Free Aceh Movement was seeking independence for the region and as a result the Suharto Government declared the region 'an area of special military operations'.[U]nits of the [Indonesia military] were hired to provide security for [Exxon's] operations. It is the actions of these hired military units that this case is based around. [also refers to Pertamina, Japanese-Indonesia Liquid Natural Gas Company] Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:22:22 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/179048 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/508238 International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Responsibilities for Human Rights, and International Law 6-7 November 2008 ... The overall topic of this conference will be the possible directions of the future interrelationship between CSR, Business Responsibilities for Human Rights, and regulatory approaches under and/or informed by international law. The Final Report of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human Rights and Business (SRSG, Professor John Ruggie)...will form a point of departure... Key note speakers - Mads Ovlisen, member of the board of the UN Global Compact and former CEO of Novo Nordisk (confirmed); and Chris Sidoti, former director, ISHR (International Service for Human Rights), Geneva and former Human Rights Commissioner of Australia (confirmed)...Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:26:17 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/508238 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/153789 Friday, October 3, 2008 - 12:00 PM to 02:00 PM... This Workshop for Ethics in Business luncheon will examine the intersection of Web 2.0 technologies and the effort to hold corporations to account for both the harms and benefits they create... global challenges such as climate change, energy policy, poverty, access to education, and human rights exist where business and society overlap. Web 2.0 has the potential to enable meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and problem solving between companies and their stakeholders. Will it rise to meet the challenge?... Participants include John Abell of wired.com; James Farrar of SAP; Gerhard Pohl of Development Gateway Foundation; Emily Polk of CSRwire.com; Steve Rochlin of AccountAbility; Devin Stewart of Carnegie Council...Location: Global Policy Innovations, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, 170 East 64th Street, New York, NY Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:08:31 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/153789 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/267804 The number of women holding senior posts in politics, the law and the media has fallen compared with last yearThe Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said that in 12 of 25 job categories it studied, there were fewer women holding top posts...The EHRC said its annual study of women in top positions of power and influence across public and private sectors showed the biggest number of reversals since the report was started five years ago. Nicola Brewer, the chief executive of the EHRC, said: "...There is a bit of discrimination still going on and that still needs to be challenged..." Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:19:33 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/267804 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/402825 Sonjica vs Spoor - it's a classic showdown that has rural villagers and traditional leaders on the Wild Coast tackling the South African government for not protecting their land against mining practices which they consider exploitative and rapacious...Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica...recently approved plans by...Mineral Resource Commodities, to start stripping coastal dunes along South Africa's pristine Wild Coast of titanium-enriched minerals...[Lawyer for the community, Richard] Spoor said the case now being taken to the High Court, and possibly the Constitutional Court, would essentially be asking whose rights are more important: a corporation's right to exploit mineral resources for the benefit of an elite few, or rights of thousands of people powerless in the face of the buying power of the mining industry and questionable government decisions, such as the Xolobeni mining deal. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:12:47 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/402825 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/204426 The Ministry of Labour of the Republic of Liberia, in partnership with...Realising Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative and the International Labour Organization will convene a high-level forum on promoting Decent Work in Africa from 8-9 September 2008 in Monrovia...The two-day forum will serve primarily as a platform where participants will review and share policies and programmes for realizing decent work at the national level. It will encourage concrete plans...for taking forward the decent work agenda in...Africa, said Mary Robinson...whose Every Human Has Rights campaign marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is featuring the theme of Decent Work in September. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:11:32 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/204426 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/308914 ...unos 200 mil [ninos en Argentina] son obligados a salir a trabajar, dejando de lado el juego, los deportes y la educacion. En este sentido, el gobierno de Cristina Kirchner prometio erradicar la explotacion de ninos para el 2015...se estima que el 6,5 por ciento de los menores de 5 a 13 anos trabaja...mientras que entre los jovenes de 14 a 17 anos, el 20,1% cumple tareas laborales...segun una encuesta oficial elaborada en 2006, la ultima realizada...El gobierno se comprometio a erradicar el trabajo infantil para 2015, en el marco de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio... Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:56:36 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/308914 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/766576 An International Labor Organization (ILO) official has repudiated allegations made by [an] Egyptian daily...that the ILO is planning to take punitive measures against Egypt. The article...claims that the ILO is disdainful of the Ministry of Manpower's ignoring of recommendations concerning violations of workers' rights in Egypt and state interference in trade union affairs....an anonymous source [is quoted] as saying, Egypt is threatened with the imposition of economic sanctions......This is simply untrue, an ILO official based in the Cairo field office [said]...The ILO does not issue 'blacklists"......During the June meeting in Geneva, Egypt was given until November 2009 to study and respond to the remarks made to it, he continued. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:52:58 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/766576 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/877513 All too often, politicians and businessmen have said to me: "You're a businessman, so surely you're opposed to the green agenda?"...[T]his is...muddled thinking...[I]f we want long-term growth, we must go greenonly by acting now on cutting emissions will we save money in the futureIf climate change is to be tackled successfully, we need a new framework in which governments, business and consumers each play their part...Businesshas a crucial leadership role to play in empowering consumers, by overcoming barriers of price, incentivising customers to buy greener products, providing better information and innovating through new products and services. If consumers are able to purchase lower-carbon products and services, they will reward the businesses that produce these products... Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:40:06 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/877513 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/145326 Production of the Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, has been suspended indefinitely amid reports of more disturbances at the factory. Tata Motors has decided to look for alternative manufacturing sites after violent protests by farmers in West Bengal where the plant is located. Farmers want the return of 400 acres of land purchased to build the plant. Tata said the situation at the plant was "hostile and intimidating"The opposition Trinamul Congress party, which has been leading the protests, said they were not seeking Tata's withdrawal from the areaBut they said the land on which the plant in Singur is being built had been forcibly acquired from "unwilling" farmers Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:19:41 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/145326 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/756311 El lider del Frente para Defensa de la Amazonia (FEDAM) y ultimo Premio Goldman, Pablo Fajardo, reclama a la antigua compania petrolifera Texaco (actual Chevron Texaco) que repare los danos medioambientales y humanos que causo en la Amazonia Ecuatoriana...Fajardo...hizo estas declaraciones en una rueda de prensa...[y] apunto que "se han producido mas de 500 muertes por cancer y han mermado los habitantes de muchas de la comunidades indigenas que habitan la zona..."...Fajardo recordo que FEDAM denuncio ante los tribunales a Texaco en 1993 y este ano, aunque todavia no hay una sentencia clara, han logrado un dictamen...en el que se asegura que para reparar el dano que la petrolera causo en el Amazonas tendrian que pagar entre 8.000 y 16.000 millones de euros..."Lo que nosotros queremos no es dinero para uso personal, sino que la empresa repare el dano ecologico y la perdida del legado cultural ecuatoriano, al acabar con pueblos indigenas", apunto. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:16:06 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/756311 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/583882 Manpowerannounced today that it has been named one of PINK magazine's 2008 "Top Companies for Women," and is the only employment services firm named to the list. PINK'sannual rankingrecognizes the prominent role of women at Manpower, particularly in top leadership rolesToday, as country managers, senior and executive vice presidents, and board directors, women lead the way in many of Manpower's most influential management roles. Women comprise 40 percent of the company's Executive Management Team and 43 percent of country managers worldwide are women. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:40:40 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/583882 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/432237 Solo 167 companias en todo el mundo han adoptado de forma oficial y explicita politicas de proteccion de los derechos humanos, segun un estudio recien publicado por el Centro de Informacion sobre Negocios y Derechos Humanos (Bhrrc, por sus siglas en ingles)Mary Robinson, presidenta del Bhrrc y ex Alta comisionada de Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, animo a "todas las empresas a sumarse a este grupo"Por ello, y con motivo del 60 aniversario de la firma de la declaracion de los derechos del hombreRobinson ha dirigido una misiva a los integrantes decompanias de renombre mundial para que "adopten politicas de proteccion de los derechos humanos". Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:55:31 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/432237 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/716804 The Human Rights Campaign Foundation today released the seventh annual Corporate Equality Index, which rates 583 businesses on a scale from 0 to 100 percent on their treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. The 2009 edition of the CEI reports 259 businesses achieved a perfect score, a one-third increase over last year when the number was 195[refers to Shell, Cardinal] Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:48:16 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/716804 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/384452 L'affaire du deversement en aout 2006 a Abidjan des dechets toxiques du Probo Koala, un petrolier affrete par la multinationale Trafigura, doit etre jugee a partir du 29 septembre devant la cour d'assises d'Abidjan, dont la premiere session 2008 a ete ouverte mardi. Douze personnes vont comparaitre pour "empoisonnement ou complicite d'empoisonnement" en raison du deversement a l'air libre et en differents points de la capitale economique ivoirienne de 500 tonnes de ces dechets qui ont provoque la mort de 16 personnes et l'intoxication de milliers d'autres... Parmi les accuses figurent le patron de la societe locale Tommy qui avait passe un contrat avec Trafigura pour "retraiter" les dechets... Aucun des responsables de Trafigura ou de sa filiale locale n'a ete en revanche renvoye devant la cour, conformement a l'accord passe en fevrier 2007 entre la multinationale et l'Etat ivoirien... Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:41:46 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/384452 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/188720 En Equateur, l'Amazonie est victime d'une pollution aux hydrocarbures depuis 1972. Le petrolier americain Texaco, la compagnie nationale Petroecuador et le gouvernement equatorien se sont toujours rejete la responsabilite de cette catastrophe environnementale et sociale. Chevron, actuel proprietaire de Texaco, propose de verser 16,3 milliards de dollars a l'Etat equatorien pour mettre fin a ce conflit...Texaco, a longtemps refuse un reglement a l'amiable. Il rejette meme l'accusation sur la compagnie petroliere nationale, Petroecuador...Chevron, qui n'a jamais eu d'exploitations en Equateur, doit aujourd'hui assumer la responsabilite des actes de sa filiale. Et envisage de payer...la compagnie petroliere est soupconnee d'avoir sciemment...pollue les rivieres et les terres alentours, impactant gravement les paysans et les populations indigenes...de nombreuses affections emergent : cancers, dysenteries, fausses-couches et malformations... Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:30:31 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/188720 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/740189 ...[T]he peasants that tried to occupy Los recuerdos farm were ousted with the help of 160 Guadalupe field workers and their elected officials from nearby villages. They did so, and voluntarily, because they claimed they did not want to lose the jobs they wished all their lives to have and that Guadalupe is now providing them...To address the other claims...we have had the following article from Guatemala's premier newspaper professionally translated in its entirety. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:10:19 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/740189 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/751944 El Gobierno chileno comenzara a implementar a partir de enero de 2009 la certificacion en Responsabilidad Empresarial de Genero, que garantizara que las empresas privadas y los organismos publicos impulsan la equidad entre hombres y mujeres[E]l sello, llamado Iguala, servira para certificar que las entidades hacen una seleccion de personal y ascensos laborales sin sesgos discriminatorios en razon del sexo, que buscan formulas que concilien el mundo laboral con el familiar, y que promocionan a mujeres para cargos directivos. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:50:23 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/751944 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/536954 The safety of U.S. food depends starts with the farms where our food is grown...At work now to improve farm safety and sanitation in three Latin American countries...are staff members for a little-known project called Cultivar...[which is] providing technical assistance to [8] banana farms in the Dominican Republic, [3] melon farms in Honduras and [6] banana farms in Nicaragua. Common to farms in all three countries is adverse effect on the health of workers and their families of pesticides and fertilizers...The other pervasive problem is the general lack of sanitation...The...project offers the incentive of some modest grants to provide missing sanitary facilities and encourage management and workers on the...farms to undergo training to raise their standards...The project is funded [by the] U.S. Department of Labor...USAID and the State Department. The project is also supported by the participation of companies, which provide in-kind and cash resources, and NGOs. [also refers to Shell, Del Monte, Chiquita, Dole, Tesco, Wal-Mart] Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:22:19 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/536954 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/867333 ...[T]he SRSG [Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Business & Human Rights] embarked on a joint-project with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) focusing on state contracts or host government agreements (HGAs)...and, in particular, the use of stabilization clauses in these agreements...Concerns have been raised that such clauses limit a state's ability to effectively legislate in line with their international human rights obligations...The joint research project with the IFC was designed specifically to stimulate multi-stakeholder engagement. Thus it was decided to hold consultations to discuss the findings as well as to develop a future agenda to build on those findings. The first consultation was held in London, UK [on 22 May 2008]...[S]et out below is a general record of the discussion... Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:18:17 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/867333 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/370540 [31 October 1 November 2008, Wessex Water in Bath]Questions to be explored:How do we make the transition to a low carbon sustainable enterprise economy?How can the new economy help deliver freedom from fear and freedom from want the two issues at the heart of the human security debate?How can you, your organisation, your business, your place of work, think, breathe and practice in the new economy?How can we harness the best of what it means to be human - sharing, caring, enterprise, innovation, creativity and problem solving - to create peaceful, socially just and environmentally sound enterprises and a sustainable enterprise economy? Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:18:09 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/370540 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/302285 En presencia del Gobernador de Tabasco, Andres Granier Melo, Fundacion Wal-Mart de Mexico, anuncio...que el Fondo Semilla, creado...para apoyar a las familias damnificadas por las inundaciones ocurridas el ano pasado en Tabasco, ha logrado superar los 16 millones de pesos. El Fondo esta conformado por las aportaciones...[de] Fundacion Wal-Mart de Mexico, Wal-Mart Estados Unidos, el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD), Fundacion del Empresariado en Mexico (FUNDEMEX) y Fundacion Sabritas, asi como clientes de Wal-Mart de Mexico...Dichos recursos apoyan a mas de 180 proyectos productivos...Aproximadamente 2 mil familias...son beneficiadas... Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:47:24 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/302285 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/710796 Millions of working mothers and sometimes fathers have to make often difficult trade-offs when it comes to work and family, but labor experts say the calculus is especially harsh in Germany,...[which] has one of the widest gender wage gaps on the Continent. It is just one of the disparities between working men and women, especially mothers, that government and union leaders say is creating a drag on female participation in the work force and, consequently, on economic growth... While the wage gap between women and men is narrowing across the European Union and in the United States, it is stagnant in Germany. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:15:03 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/710796 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/673741 The Iowa attorney general's office says investigators have executed a search warrant at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville, which was the site of a huge Immigration raid in May... Agriprocessors spokesman Chaim Abrahams said..."As it has done in the past, the company cooperated completely...As the Attorney General's press release stated, no charges have been filed and the company, like everyone else in America, is to be 'presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty."' Earlier this month, the Iowa Labor Commissioner's Office said an investigation which spanned several months uncovered 57 cases of child labor law violations at the plant. State officials said the types of alleged violations included minors working with prohibited tools, working in prohibited occupations, exceeding allowable hours for youth to work, failure to obtain work permits and exposure to hazardous chemicals. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:48:49 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/673741 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/498263 The big business of farming in the US is booming but undocumented migrants make up more than half of the farming workforce. They are ripe for exploitation and face low salaries, substandard housing, risk of injury, pesticides and heat stroke. Some literally work themselves to death. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:37:35 +0100 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/498263