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Weekly Update - 18 February 2015
Lead Story
Myanmar Foreign Investment Tracking Project finds most foreign investors in Myanmar silent or evasive when asked about their human rights commitments

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

  • 57 out of 108 companies responded; only 24 referred to human rights policies regarding Myanmar activities
  • companies with strong responses include adidas, BG Group, Coca-Cola, Telenor
  • we invite further responses from companies & commentaries from civil society
(Photo credit: Raphael Olschner)
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International
FIDH urges French courts to speed up investigations into Amesys' alleged complicity in torture in Libya

Evaluation finds governance gaps in Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative multi-stakeholder groups

MSI Integrity

  • includes good practice guidance on civil society participation in multi-stakeholder initiatives
  • also provided: initial thoughts on the report by Pablo Valverde of EITI
Commentary: Business & human rights movement needs to unite over approach to binding treaty

Amol Mehra, International Corporate Accountability Roundtable


Further to last week's Update: Enagás & EXMINGUA (part of KCA), PTPN7 have not responded to concerns about repression of land rights defenders

Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

  • previous response by KCA provided
Technology firms must do everything in their power to protect customers’ privacy, says Apple CEO

Business Insider (UK)
Africa
Commentary: "Challenges facing women in the extractive industry"

Faith Alubbe, Kenya Human Rights Commission in Focus on Land in Africa


Further to last week's Update: Tanzania: Acacia Mining official says company opted for out-of-court settlement to maintain good relationship with locals

Citizen (Tanzania)


Forest Stewardship Council strips DLH of certification over illegal logs from Liberia – DLH must compensate Liberian communities to regain FSC certification

News (Liberia); Global Witness
Americas
US Govt. publishes Frequently Asked Questions on National Action Plan

Nicaraguans demand action following deaths allegedly linked to working conditions at sugar plantations; includes comments from ISA sugar mill which denies the connection

Guardian (UK)


USA: Financial whistleblowers still at risk of retaliation by companies

International Business Times (USA)
Asia & Pacific
Briefing highlights Chinese companies' engagement with business & human rights

China Responsible Business Forum (cooperation project between Global Business Initiative on Human Rights, UN Global Compact Network China, Institute for Human Rights and Business, Peking University, Tracktwo)


Cambodia: “Little to nothing has changed,” say villagers affected by Coca-Cola supplier’s alleged land rights abuses; includes companies’ comments

Cambodia Daily


Myanmar: Allegations that CNPC involved in forcible evictions from farmland on Myaday Island

Natural Resources for People

Uber introduces India-specific safety features following rape allegations against a driver

Reuters; and commentary by Salil Tripathi, Institute for Human Rights and Business
Europe & Central Asia
Norwegian pension fund divests from 49 companies due to social & environmental issues

Norges Bank; Guardian (UK)


Briefing note by retailers, conservation & human rights groups sets out steps to end long-term threat of illegal fishing in UK supply chain

Guardian (UK)


Commentary: Opportunity for France to hold companies legally responsible for human rights abuses by subsidiaries abroad

Elodie Aba, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Middle East & North Africa
United Arab Emirates: Intl. Labour Organization launches investigation into labour abuses at Saadiyat Island construction of Guggenheim, Louvre branches

Human Rights Watch; Guardian (UK); Hyper Allergic
Company responses Non-responses
Announcements
Final reminder: Call for applications for member from Latin America to join UN Working Group on business & human rights (closes 20 Feb)

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Events
Forthcoming events:
  • lecture on tackling human rights abuses in supply chains (Sydney, 19 Feb)
  • discussion on outcomes & results of CSR Multi-stakeholder Forum (online, 19 Feb)
  • workshop on implementation of UN Guiding Principles (Copenhagen, 23-24 Feb)
  • training project in human rights and business (San Sebastián, 19-20 Feb)
  • webinar: UK companies' implementation of UN Guiding Principles (online, 24 Feb)
Details of these and other events further in the future can be found here.  Please send relevant event information to Alex Janczenia: janczenia@business-humanrights.org  
Jobs
Other current vacancies: Further details and other recently posted jobs available here.  Please send job announcements to Alex Janczenia: janczenia@business-humanrights.org  
Español
Colombia: Amnistía Internacional denuncia amenazas de muerte contra afrodescendientes opuestos a minería ilegal

Swiss Leaks: Acciones legales contra HSBC interrogan sobre capitales latinoamericanos; incluye comentarios de HSBC

Agencia Paco Urondo (Argentina);  Revista Semana (Colombia); El Universal (Venezuela)


Perú: La lucha de Máxima Acuña en defensa de su tierra ante minera Yanacocha; incluye declaración de la empresa

Otra Mirada al Día (Perú)


Argentina: Autoridades publicarían lista de empresas con trabajo infantil y “esclavo”

Diario Uno (Argentina)


México: ONG denuncia ataque a indígenas opositores a proyecto de Merket Construcciones

Sistema Integral de Información en Derechos Humanos


México: Pese a meses de oposición campesinos venden tierras a Honour up Trading; comunidades vecinas temen impactos negativos

La Jornada (México)


México: Exoneran a defensora opositora a proyectos eólicos promovidos por CFE; su situación de riesgo permanece

Cimac (México)


Ecuador: Dirigente antiminero sentenciado a 10 meses de prisión por “rebelión”, recobra libertad

El Comercio (Ecuador)


Panamá: Autoridad ambiental ordena suspensión de hidroeléctrica Barro Blanco por falta de evaluación de impacto ambiental

México: Empresarios se oponen a familiares de desaparecidos sobre acceso a cuarteles

La Jornada (México)
Français
La FIDH exhorte la justice française à accélérer l’enquête sur la présupposée complicité d’Amesys pour des actes de torture en Libye

Le fonds norvégien se désengage de 22 entreprises à cause de l’impact de leurs secteurs sur le changement climatique

Novethic (France)


Commentaire : « J’ai parlé de gens qui meurent, on m’a répondu CAC 40 » : On ne peut pas en rester là !

Elodie Aba, Centre de Ressources sur les Entreprises et les Droits de l'Homme

  • Opportunité pour la France d'imposer un devoir de vigilance aux entreprises pour les activités de leurs filiales à l’étranger
L'Afrique perd chaque année plus de 50 milliards de dollars sous forme de flux financiers illicites, selon le nouveau rapport conjoint UA/ONU

Union africaine et Commission économique pour l'Afrique des Nations Unies


Afrique : Des comptes de diamantaires opérant sur le continent révélés dans le cadre de SwissLeaks

Le Monde (France)


Une évaluation des groupes multipartites de l'Initiative pour la Transparence des Industries Extractives constate d'importants défauts dans leur gouvernance

MSI Integrity


Emirats Arabes Unis : Une ONG dénonce les conditions de travail des migrants sur des chantiers, notamment le futur « Louvre des sables »

Les Echos (France)


Philippines : Les communautés dénoncent l’autorisation donnée à Redondo Peninsula Energy pour une centrale à charbon à cause de son impact sanitaire et environnemental

AlterAsia (France)


Sciences Po et l’Atelier de couture publient un rapport sur l’industrie de la mode face aux questions d’éthique

Novethic (France)


Japon : Davantage d’entreprises luttent contre la discrimination envers les LGBT

Japon Information (France)
DISCLAIMER:
We take no position on views by commentators, organizations & companies in the materials in this email: http://business-humanrights.org/en/about-us/disclaimer
Copyright © 2015 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, All rights reserved.


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