Weekly Update - 5 August 2015

German companies respond to allegations of abuse in Bangladesh garment factories

• we invited Aldi to respond - responses from Aldi Süd & Aldi Nord provided
• also available in German

European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)

• we invited TÜV Rheinland to respond - response provided
• also available in German

(Photo credit: USAID)

Compiled by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

• includes reports on expert workshops on climate litigation & corporate action for climate justice; RSVP to our forthcoming event in New York, 23 Sep. 

• seeking feedback from companies, investors, civil society & policymakers - deadline 31 Aug

Road to Paris

Guardian (UK)

Premium Times (Nigeria); This Day (Nigeria)
 

Fin24 (So. Africa)

• see also: US 2nd circuit court affirms dismissal of claims against Ford & IBM brought by apartheid victims

Guardian (UK)

• article includes comments from Philip Morris

Fairfood Intl., CNV Internationaal., Central American Institute for Social Studies

• we invited Bacardi & Diageo to respond - responses provided

CNN

• Apple, Goldman among companies in USD 140 billion climate pledge

PalomaMQuick

IPS

• article includes company comments

Business Insider; Homegrown (India)

• activists claim pollution harmed health of employees leading to deaths & illnesses
• Unilever says independent studies have found no evidence of harm but it continues to take issue "very seriously" 

Wall Street Journal (USA); Rainforest Action Network; Malay Mail Online

• Felda denies all allegations
• Cargill, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble say they are investigating claims

Los Angeles Times; Human Rights Watch

• see the latest news on our major sporting events "Big Issue"

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners & Burma Partnership

Reuters

• article includes statements from companies criticised

Andrew Smith, Campaign Against Arms Trade in Huffington Post (UK)

Compiled by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

• submissions by Amnesty Intl., CORE, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Institute for Human Rights and Business, UNICEF & others

Peninsula (Qatar)

Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey)

Gulf Times

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

• opportunities & risks for ethical trade in Ethiopia & Myanmar (London, 27 Aug)
• Global Child Forum 2015 (Pretoria, 8 Sep)
• training course on human rights for business people (London, 8 Sep)
• supply chain management & the UN Guiding Principles (Copenhagen, 16 Sep)
• business training on advancing due diligence approach (Frankfurt, 16 Sep)

• Clean Clothes Campaign Intl. (Public Outreach & Campaign Coordinator)
• Intl. Code of Conduct Association (Project Assistant)
• Intl. Corporate Accountability Roundtable (Legal & Policy Coordinator, Remedy Programs)
• Response Global Media (Events Leader (2 posts); Events Coordinator; Sales Executive (2 posts))
• UNICEF (Global New Business Consultant)