Weekly Update - 26 August 2015

Finnwatch; FreshFruitPortal.com; Human Rights Watch; Walk Free

• charges brought over report alleging serious labour rights abuses including: violence, forced overtime, child labour, passport confiscation from migrant workers
• court's decision to indict Andy Hall "a blow to human rights", says Finnwatch
• 44 NGOs send joint letter to Thai Prime Minister, asking for charges to be withdrawn 
• we invited 8 of Natural Fruit's US buyers to provide statements on the case:
  • we received responses from: J. A. Kirsch, Port Royal Sales, Supervalu Intl.
  • Anchana Intl., Nemco Food Trading, and Schreiber Foods Intl. did not provide statements
  • Acme Food Sales and Purcell Intl. have not yet provided statements - we will indicate in a future update whether they do or not
• Walk Free petition calling for charges to be dropped open for signatures

(photo credit:Finnwatch)

• "Corporate Human Rights Obligations: Controversial but necessary", Nicolás Carrillo-Santarelli, La Sabana University (Colombia)

Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy; Guardian (UK)

• full text of complaint available - claims feed used by CP Foods in prawn farms comes from fish caught using slave labour

U.S. National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

• NGOs to submit full request in August for SGSOC to investigate past land acquisitions, company commits to responding within 3 months
• this is 1st mediation conducted by US NCP to reach a mutually agreed resolution

World Bank; Guardian (UK); edie; WaterWorld; TriplePundit

• SABMiller & WWF on importance of partnerships for achieving water security
• InterContinental Hotels Group announce water stewardship programme
• engineering firm CH2M receives award for its leadership in potable water reuse

Nyasa Times (Malawi)

• said past & on-going discharges were rendering water unusable
• we invited Carlsberg & SABMiller to respond - responses provided

RightsasUsual (UK)

Front Page Africa (Liberia) 

• article includes company comments

Citizens for Justice (Malawi), Danish Institute for Human Rights

Guardian (UK); Reuters

• also available in Portuguese 

Intl. Service for Human Rights (ISHR) & Intl. Platform against Impunity

• we invited Grupo Vicini & Central Romana to respond re conditions in their plants -  response of Grupo Vicini provided
• we will indicate in a future Update whether Central Romana responds

La Isla Foundation

Rappler (Philippines) 

• we invited 2 companies involved in the construction of plants, Petron & San Miguel Corp., to respond but they did not

PTI (Press Trust of India)

Bangkok Post

Caixin (China)

Government Offices of Sweden

Guardian (UK)

Independent (UK)

Bayan Towfiq of Flowroute.com, on Institute for Human Rights and Business

Deutsche Welle

Gulf Business

• Ethical Trade & Human Rights Forum (London, 19 Sep, early deadline 28 Aug)
• debate on legally binding instrument on business & human rights (Brussels, 2 Sep)
• Global Child Forum 2015 (Pretoria, 8 Sep)
• short course on human rights for business people (London, 8 Sep)
• panel discussion: social responsibility & the extractives industry (London 10 Sep)  

• ActionAid UK (Advocacy Adviser, Private Sector)
• Global Witness (Senior Communications Advisor)
• Inter-American Development Bank (7-10 posts: Roster of Independent Experts)
• The FACT Coalition (Communications & Operations Associate)
• UK Export Finance (Senior Social Issues Advisor)