Weekly Update - 22 July 2015

• first case involving allegations of overseas corporate abuse to survive limits established in Kiobel v. Shell 
• judge held newly added claim that top Exxon figures knowingly hired and supported local military forces who tortured, killed & sexually assaulted villagers passed Kiobel's "touch and concern" test
• ExxonMobil rejects allegations 
• full text of judgment and summary profile of case also provided

(Photo credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 AgnosticPreachersKid)

• "Get real or we'll get nothing", John Ruggie reflects on the First Session of the Intergovernmental Working Group
• risk of corporate capture of the treaty process, perspectives from Bobby Ramakant (WHO World No Tobacco Day Awardee 2008) & Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development

UN Principles for Responsible Investment 

Amnesty Intl.

EIRIS Conflict Risk Network

Four-part series by New York Times

Michael Hobbes, in Huffington Post

• on limitations of consumer advocacy, the case for government enforcement

Zanele Mbuyisa & Richard Meeran, miner's legal representatives in Business Day (So. Africa)

• we invited AngloGold Ashanti to respond - response provided in which company apologises 

Mail & Guardian (So. Africa)

• we invited ArcelorMittal to respond - response provided

Intl. Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Center for Public Integrity, African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting

New York Times; Washington Post 

Nisgua (Guatemala) 

Guardian

FreshFruitPortal.com; Finnwatch, Human Rights Watch and other orgs

• indictment decision postponed for a month amid intl. calls to drop charges
• defamation claims brought by Natural Fruit against the labour rights activist

ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corp.); SBS (Australia)

• allegations are subject of Australian Senate inquiry

The Hindu (India)

Guardian (UK)

Norwegian Natl. Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinatl. Enterprises; Norges Bank Investment Management; Cotton Campaign

• we invited Norges Bank to respond - response provided

• link to online survey provided

Gissou Nia of Intl. Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, in Cairo Review of Global Affairs

New York Times

Jerusalem Post   

Gregory Regaignon, North America Researcher & Research Director, and Emily Kaufman, Research Intern

• seeking feedback from companies, investors, civil society & policymakers - deadline 31st August 2015

Amanda Romero, Senior Researcher & Representative for South America

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

• gathering of public interest law practitioners (Johannesburg, 23-24 Jul)
• panel discussion: "Community Consent Index 2015: Oil, Gas, & Mining Company Public Positions on FPIC" (Washington DC/online, 23 Jul)
• business ethics training for suppliers in China (Guangzhou & Shanghai, 27-31 Jul)
• FIFA & the World Cup: an end to human rights violations? (Washington DC, 28 Jul)
• human rights & the exploitation of natural resources (Washington DC, 28 Jul)
• Global Child Forum 2015 (Pretoria, 8 Sep)

• European Environment Agency (Project Manager, Sustainability Assessments)
• Insurance Australia Group (Senior Specialist, Strategy & Sustainability)
• International Alert (Peacebuilding Portfolio Manager, DRC)
• Peace Brigades International UK (2 posts: Advocacy Officer; Fundraising Officer)