Weekly Update - 11 February 2015

Human rights defenders increasingly at risk

(Photo credit: The Observatory)

Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

• we invited Abengoa, Bonatti, Elecnor, Enagas, EXMINGUA (part of Kappes, Cassiday & Associates), PTPN7, Voronezhgeologiya to respond to allegations about social impacts of their operations & harassment of land rights defenders
• Abengoa response provided
• Bonatti, Elecnor, Voronezhgeologiya have not responded
• we will indicate whether Enagas, EXMINGUA, PTPN7 respond in next week's Update

Reuters

Voice of Bahrain

Intl. Consortium of Investigative Journalism; Guardian (UK); HSBC 

• company also said to have profited from doing business with arms dealers, repressive govts., traffickers in blood diamonds & other intl. outlaws

Axonn News Agency; Wall Street Journal

Menno T. Kamminga, Maastricht University (Netherlands)

Brad Smith, General Counsel, Microsoft

David Bilchitz, Univ. of Johannesburg

• also provided: commentaries on John Ruggie's remarks at 2014 UN Forum; including reflections on binding treaty

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre; Business Report; Oil in Uganda; City Press

• includes new briefing note: "Business unusual: Mining in the aftermath of Marikana" on human rights impacts of mining in southern Africa

Leigh Day (UK); Mining Weekly; Traidcraft

• case profile also provided

Institute for Human Rights and Business

Al Jazeera

Reuters; US Department of State; Nissan

Guardian (Trinidad & Tobago)

• report includes responses from companies

Reuters

• Michael Addo, Chair of UN Working Group, welcomes news & comment that Indonesia, Philippines & Malaysia may also develop National Action Plans

Taipei Times

• article includes China Airlines comments

Harpreet Kaur of Business & Human Rights Resource Centre on Dejusticia blog 

CBG Network

• we invited Bayer to respond - response provided
• also available in German: NGO wirft Bayer Steuerpraxis zu Lasten der Steuerzahler und Städte in Deutschland vor

Access to Justice Project

Tengrinews (Kazakhstan)

 Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights

• we invited Century Miracle Jordan to respond - response provided

MENAFN

Hürriyet Daily News (Turkey)

• applications for summer institute on civil resistance (deadline: 16 Feb)
• webinar: multi-sector approaches to combatting online child exploitation (18 Feb) 
• discussion on outcomes & results of CSR Multistakeholder Forum (online, 19 Feb)
• workshop on implementation of UN Guiding Principles (Copenhagen, 23-24 Feb)
• lecture on business & human rights with Prof. John Ruggie (London, 25 Feb) 

• Access (3 posts: Executive Assistant; Senior Policy Analyst; Strategic Communications Manager)
• ActionAid UK (2 posts: Digital Campaigner; Interim Chief Executive)
• European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (Experts for Project Complaints Mechanism)
• Humanity United (Investments Manager)
• International Alert (Corporate Social Responsibility Volunteer)

Gestión.pe; La República

Provea, Sociedad Homo et Natura, Otra Política y 8 organizaciones más

ComunicaRSE

Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA)

Centro de Medios Independientes

GRI, ComunicaRSE

Animal Político

Cimacnoticias

Minera Yanacocha; DesInformémonos;  Salva La Selva

Universo Gay.com

Redacción, Sinlínea

Noticiasnet.mx

UNAM (México)

Equal Times

Terraeco.net (France)

Observatoire des multinationales (France)

Novethic (France)

Le Figaro (France)

La Tribune ; Le Monde (France)

Walfadjri (Sénégal)

Journal de l'Environnement (France)

Observatoire des multinationales (France)

Le Potentiel (Rép. dém. du Congo)