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Article

16 Sep 2019

Author:
Investor Alliance for Human Rights

Gun companies are not exempt from responsibility to respect human rights, investors say

Members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and the Investor Alliance for Human Rights announced that they are calling on fellow shareholders in gun maker American Outdoor Brands (AOBC) to support a proposal requesting the company develop a human rights policy... [According to] Sr. Judy Byron, who filed the proposal on behalf of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary... “Hundreds of companies across a spectrum of sectors including Walmart, Phillip Morris International, Microsoft, Hershey, and Coca-Cola have adopted human rights policies and due diligence processes in order to minimize harm, manage risks, and protect their social license to operate. Gun companies aren’t exempt."

... In its... opposition statement, AOBC... contends that the adoption of a human rights policy would compel the company to assume “unlimited financial and legal liability” for “the negative impact of guns on society” and, further, would require AOBC to take actions or positions in opposition to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution... The human rights proposal follows a request last year... for a report on AOBC’s efforts to promote gun safety... While AOBC did produce a "Shareholder Requested Report," its conclusions suggested that there were no changes or further investigations that AOBC could carry out to reduce the risk that its products would be associated with events of gun violence.