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Weekly Update - July 9 2014

Lead Story

Ten companies' statements under California supply chain law say they are not taking action on human trafficking
KnowtheChain; Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

  • we invited the firms to respond
  • responses provided by Caterpillar, Hyundai Motor America, Johnson Matthey, Valero Energy
  • in its response, Johnson Matthey indicates that its North America operation does have a policy on human trafficking and slavery
  • the following firms have not yet responded: Commercial Metals, Danaher Corp, IDEX Corporation, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Manufactured Packaging Products, Overhill Farms - we will include any further responses in a future Update
International
Africa
Americas
Asia & Pacific
Europe & Central Asia
Middle East & North Africa
Announcements
Events
Jobs
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International
New commentaries on UN Human Rights Council resolution on a binding treaty on business & human rights: 
  • commentaries by John Ruggie, Caroline Rees, civil society & business organizations
  • also provided: commentaries in French, Spanish & Portuguese
Blog by our Executive Director Phil Bloomer: "Welcome to our new and improved website"
 
DCAF-ICRC Toolkit for companies: "Addressing Security and Human Rights Challenges in Complex Environments"
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), Intl. Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

EU govts. at OECD forum call for increased compensation for victims of Rana Plaza building collapse
Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD; OECD Watch; Guardian (UK)
 
Microsoft announces progress in protecting users’ data & opens its first Transparency Centre
Microsoft TechNet Blogs
Africa

Tanzania: MiningWatch & RAID renew objection to legal waivers & other concerns related to African Barrick Gold’s grievance mechanism

  • we invited African Barrick Gold to respond - response provided

Liberia: Locals protest against ArcelorMittal's operations - some say company has not compensated locals for lost crops
Reuters; Front Page Africa (Liberia)

  • articles include company comments; local official says residents have been compensated

Uganda: Intl. Alert analyses how to address disadvantages for women in oil & gas sector
Oil in Uganda

  • report includes recommendations to govt., companies, development partners & civil society

Dem. Rep. of Congo: "Stop Fixating on Conflict Minerals", says Christoph Vogel, PhD researcher at Univ. of Zurich
Think Africa Press

Americas

Colombia: Report by Dutch NGO Pax alleges Drummond, Prodeco (part of Glencore) supported right-wing paramilitaries, responsible for abuses in mining region

  • we invited Drummond and Glencore to respond - responses provided

Brazil: World Cup stadium builder OAS added, then removed from slave labour "dirty list"
Thomson Reuters Foundation

Brazil: NGO publishes interactive map of slave labour cases based on public database
Reporter Brasil (available in Portuguese only)

  • includes close to 50,000 cases between 1995-2013
  • Brasil: ONG faz levantamento inédito de casos de trabalho escravo no Brasil

US Supreme Court rules family-run company can use religious exemption to refuse contraception coverage for employees' health insurance
Guardian (UK)

  • includes text of US Supreme Court opinion

Peru: Civil society claims new law gives police high degree of impunity, leads to repression of social & environmental protests
Guardian (UK)

Asia & Pacific
Cambodia: ANZ cuts off ties with Phnom Penh Sugar allegedly due to “inadequate response” to a plan to remedy concerns about forced evictions, child labour
Khmer Times
  • previous response from Phnom Penh Sugar provided
China: Primark investigates “forced labour” notes found in clothing
CNN

Singapore: NGOs respond to govt. report on Little India riot involving migrant workers
Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics; Workfair Singapore
  • full report also provided
Myanmar accepted as candidate to Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative
Irrawaddy (Myanmar); Myanmar Times; TrustLaw
  • NGOs concerned about prevailing corporate secrecy & unsafe environment for civil society
New Zealand: Video of Indonesian fishing trawler workers who are beaten, forced to work excessive hours
Maritime Executive

Thailand: Rights groups propose ways for companies to address modern-day slavery in fishing industry
Food Navigator Asia

Myanmar: Ooredoo partners with non-profits to provide health advice & doctor locator services to expectant mothers
Myanmar Times
Europe & Central Asia
EU launches investigation into Amazon.com over tax avoidance via Luxembourg subsidiary
Financial Times; Intl. Business Times
  • also provided: "Tax avoidance & human rights - an introduction"
Commentary: "Armenian-Russian gas deal from a human rights perspective"
Sofia Manukyan, Univ. of Essex

UK: EasyJet commits to ensure access to air transport for passengers suffering from dementia
West (Italy)
Middle East & North Africa
Amnesty Intl. report: "Exploited dreams: Dispatches from Indian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia"

Egypt: Commentary on political & business interests driving planned increase in imports & use of coal, despite environmental impacts
MadaMasr (Egypt)

Tunisia: Avocats Sans Frontières hails judgement against Jacques Bruynooghe Global subsidiaries for wrongful dismissal of 311 workers

Saudi Arabia: General Electric provides training for female engineers
Arab News
Company responses
Announcements
UN seeking input to 3rd UN Forum on Business & Human Rights - Geneva, Dec; deadline for input & side event proposals extended to 1 Aug
Events
Forthcoming events:
  • course on human rights & competitiveness (Madrid, 14 Jul)
  • summer school on business & human rights (Tilburg, Netherlands, 14 Jul) 
  • panel on human rights risks & reporting in Myanmar (Washington DC, 15 Jul)
  • conference on women, migration & development (London, 17-18 Jul)
  • "corporate human rights abuses" & access to justice (London, 17 Jul)
  • training on embedding human rights in business (London, 17 Jul)
  • conference on "degrowth for ecological sustainability & social equity" (Leipzig, 2 Sep)
Details of these and future events can be found here
Please send relevant event information to Sam Whannel: whannel@business-humanrights.org
Jobs
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre recruiting a Communications & Corporate Accountability Officer (deadline: 28 Aug)

Other job postings Further details and other recently posted jobs available here
Please send job announcements to Sam Whannel: whannel@business-humanrights.org
Español
Colombia: Informe de ONG holandesa PAX dice que empresas mineras Drummond y Prodeco (parte de Glencore) colaboraron con paramilitares
Revista Semana; El Espectador; PAX
  • Nosotros invitamos a Drummond y Glencore a responder - las respuestas están disponibles (Glencore respondió solamente en inglés)
Brasil: Movimientos alistan acciones después del Mundial, enfocándose en mitigar daños a personas víctimas de abusos de derechos humanos, y realizar una auditoría sobre gastos del evento
Adital

EE.UU. y países de la Unión Europea en contra de resolución para elaborar tratado vinculante para multinacionales y derechos humanos
IndustriALL; Adital
  • Marco jurídico vinculante a empresas transnacionales tiene amplio apoyo, pero papel de gobiernos con ciudadanos víctimas de abusos de derechos humanos no es homogéneo
Perú: Ley aprobada da "permiso" a fuerzas armadas a atacar a manifestantes con aparente impunidad
Veoverde

Brasil: Migrantes de Haití denuncian abusos laborales que incluyen salarios bajos, discriminación racial y por embarazo, entre otros
Adital

Guatemala: Entrevista a miembro de resistencia pacífica anti-minera en La Puya; alega que minería los deja sin agua y sin territorio
Campaña Mesoamericana para la Justicia Climática – UNES

Nicaragua: Indígenas piden a la CIDH proteger derechos a la autodeterminación y al territorio ante proyecto de canal interoceánico manejado por HKND Group
EFE

Panamá: Sociedad civil se pronuncia ante modelo extractivo, y solicita moratoria a la actividad de minería metálica
Radio Temblor

Boletín sobre consulta previa en América Latina: incluye videos, noticias y publicaciones
Red de Observadores de la Consulta Previa en América Latina

Reclamos de trabajadores de LAN en Perú y Argentina por derechos laborales mantienen amenaza de huelga y nueva negociación con la empresa
La República (Perú); ActNow! LabourStart
Français
Rép. dém. du Congo déclarée pays conforme par l'Initiative pour la transparence des industries extractives (ITIE)
RFI
  • La société civile estime que d'être membre de l'ITIE est une bonne façon d'exiger des progrès supplémentaires
La Guinée également déclarée pays conforme par l'ITIE
Guineenews.org ; Le Jour Guinée
  • La société civile salue la décision et invite le gouvernement à continuer à mettre en œuvre des mesures de transparence
Etats-Unis : La Cour suprême reconnait le droit d’une entreprise de refuser de souscrire une assurance-santé couvrant la contraception des employées au nom de la liberté religieuse
Le Monde (France)

Article analysant les raisons du vote pour et contre un traité contraignant sur les entreprises et les droits de l’homme
Radio Prague

France : EasyJet et Europe Handling condamnées à une amende pour avoir refusé l’embarquement à une passagère handicapée voyageant seule
AFP

Guinée : China Power Investment contribue à la lutte contre la fièvre Ebola en distribuant des produits sanitaires
Guineenews.org
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Business & Human Rights Resource Centre takes no position on the views presented by commentators, organisations and companies in the materials listed in this email or linked to in our website. As with any library, our purpose is to provide access to a wide selection of materials representing diverse viewpoints on matters of public interest. We do not exercise any editorial control over the materials and cannot guarantee their accuracy.

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