Weekly Update - 24 February 2016

AEFJN, AFASPA, Confédération Paysanne, FIDH, Intenational Alliance of Local Communities, GRAIN, Oakland Institute, Observatoire pour la protection des défenseurs des droits de l’homme, Peuples Solidaires, ReAct, Sherpa & Survie

• 6 community members accused of destroying 40 palm oil plants; they deny the allegations
• we invited Socfin and Bolloré (which owns 39% of Socfin shares) to respond; responses provided
• information also provided on Bolloré's lawsuit against French journalists for defamation over articles on land grabs in Africa & Asia

 
(photo credit: Oakland Institute)

Joseph Kibugu, Eastern Africa Researcher & Representative, in The Guardian (UK)

Amanda Romero, Julia Mello Neiva & Karen Hudlet, Latin America Team 

• new in-depth area includes case profiles on investor-state disputes, and business & human rights concerns with ISDS
• also: updated sections on Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement & Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

bilaterals.org

John G. Ruggie, Harvard Univ. & former UN Special Representative on business & human rights, in letter to Global Commission on Business and Sustainable Development

Plain Dealer

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Freedom Fund

Human Rights at Sea; SE Texas Record

• we invited the company to respond; response provided

The Citizen (Tanzania)

• we invited Acacia Mining to respond; response provided

KTN

IOL

Rio on Watch

Upside Down World

Survival Intl.

The Guardian (UK); Labour Behind the Label

• we invited H&M and M&S to respond; responses provided

Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business

Economic Times; India Infoline News Service; Live Mint; Daily News & Analysis

• number of women in labour force "substantially lower than the number of men" 
• sectors highlighted: business services, film industry, finance, insurance, real estate
• Deloitte increases maternity leave to 26 weeks; EY, KPMG, PWC to follow suit

Prachatai

Michael Posner, NYU Stern School of Business, on CNBC

Permanent Mission of China to UN Office in Geneva; UN News Centre

Amnesty Intl.; The Guardian (UK)

The Guardian (UK)

UK Department for Business, Innovation & Skills

• deadline to submit views 15 Apr

Gulf News

Today's Zaman; The Guardian (UK)

Dejusticia and Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

• with case studies on Colombia, Egypt, India, So. Africa

• also available in Chinese

Intl. Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) & Intl. Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

• online course on workers' rights in a global economy (3 Mar-27 Apr)
• UN Guiding Principles compliance lab (8 Mar, Copenhagen)
• is your business ready for the Modern Slavery Act? (8, 9, 14 Mar, London)
• share & learn lunch: how companies can work against corruption (9 Mar, Zurich)
• webinar on traceability solutions for the apparel sector (9 & 10 Mar, online)

• Centre for Environmental Rights (Researcher)
• Ethical Trading Initiative (Senior Accountability & Benchmarking Advisor)
• ISS Ethix (Client Consultant - Danish speaker)
• Nazdeek (Senior Program Officer)
• Polaris (Communications Officer - Bilingual English/Spanish)