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Weekly Update - 27 Aug 2014
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- Business & Human Rights Resource Centre briefing analyses over 220 approaches to companies in Greater China region regarding human rights, environmental concerns
- 50% of Chinese firms responded to concerns, compared with 77% of non-Chinese firms operating in or sourcing from the region
- when Chinese firms do respond, they are more likely to do so in significant detail (52% versus 38%)
- includes op-ed by Lowell Chow, our Greater China Researcher & Representative, in South China Morning Post
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USA: Earthjustice & others urge govt. to do more to protect farm workers from pesticides
News-Press (Florida, USA)
- agricultural workers suffer 20,000 acute poisonings from pesticides each year, elevated risk of cancer
- environmental agency proposes new protections but advocates say mooted rules are insufficient
Brazil: Fishermen reportedly losing livelihoods due to oil & shipping companies; Petrobras says it "appropriately compensates" them
Brazzil Mag
Mexico environmental agency files criminal complaint against copper mining companies, Buena Vista del Cobre & Minera Mexico, over acid spill that contaminated drinking water, forced schools to close
Jurist
USA: Microsoft leaves business org. ALEC, reportedly in split over climate change & renewable energy
Bloomberg
Commentary: US labour law must address companies' responsibility for working conditions at subcontractors, franchises
Amy Dean, on Al Jazeera
Brazil: 14 migrant workers are rescued from slave-like conditions in As Marias textile factory; includes company comments
UOL (Brazil)
- only available in Portuguese: Brasil: 14 trabalhadores da confecção As Marias em situação análoga à de escravos são resgatados; inclui comentários da empresa
USA: Macy’s settles allegations of racial profiling of customers for $650,000; includes company statement
BBC
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So. Korea: Concerns that AkzoNobel Powder Coatings Korea denied workers' right to collective bargaining
IndustriALL
- we invited AkzoNobel to respond; response provided
India: Villagers protest against mining by Mahan Coal Limited in Mahan forest citing livelihood concerns
Firstpost, Greenpeace, Pioneer, Responding to Climate Change
- Greenpeace alleges villagers opposing the project are being threatened ahead of vote on future of mining project
- we invited Mahan Coal to respond; response provided
Cambodia: Phnom Penh Sugar accuses NGO of causing “irreparable damage” to Senator’s/owner’s reputation; NGOs stand by claims of Senator’s links to rights abuses
Equitable Cambodia, Building Community Voices, Housing Rights Task Force, Community Peace-Building Network, LICADHO, Community Legal Education Center & Inclusive Development Intl.; Cambodia Daily
- relates to alleged forced evictions by Phnom Penh Sugar
- company placed statements in major Cambodian newspapers singling out comments by Eang Vuthy, Executive Director of Equitable Cambodia
- NGOs release joint statement in support of Eang Vuthy
Myanmar: Telenor uncovers child labour among its suppliers after over 700 unannounced health & safety inspections
Financial Times
Food Navigator highlights need for human rights due diligence when doing business in Southeast Asia
Trades Union Congress (TUC) again urges Thai Pineapple Industry Association to tell Natural Fruit to withdraw charges against rights defender Andy Hall & enter into dialogue
- see background on this case
India: Activists claim Coca-Cola forced to abandon expansion plans due to their protests re access to water
India Resource Centre; The Hindu
- company cites inordinate delay in receiving environmental approvals as reason for decision
India: Starvation deaths highlight tea workers' conditions at closed tea plantations in West Bengal
The Hindu; Times News Network; Thomson Reuters; Nazdeek; Press Trust of India
- nearly 100 workers are alleged to have died due to starvation
Indonesia: Human Rights Commission’s series of public hearings on alleged abuses of indigenous land rights to begin in Palu, Sulawesi
Loren Bell, Mongabay
- includes cases where oil palm plantations, mining claims were established without consent of affected people
China: Passengers sue Spring Airlines over alleged refusal to carry HIV-positive passengers
AFP
Bangladesh: IndustriALL & its members implement a project to increase union membership of garment workers in factories
IndustriALL
- working with employer Masco Cotton to develop constructive relationship
Thailand: March demanding energy reform, including removal of coal from country strategy, met with arrests
Thai PBS, Bangkok Post (Thailand)
Japan: Govt. panel rules TEPCO senior managers can be prosecuted for Fukushima nuclear disaster
Tokyo Web
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Middle East & North Africa |
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Companies accused of profiting from Palestinian deaths in Gaza through supply of arms to Israeli Govt.
RT
- we invited companies named in the article to respond: Selex Galileo (part of Finmeccanica Group) responded; UAV Engines (part of Elbit Systems) & Raytheon did not
- Schleifring Systems (part of Schleifring und Apparatebau) has not yet responded - we will indicate in next week's Ypdate whether it responds
Unions accuse pharmaceutical company Deva Holding (part of EastPharma), of union busting in Turkey
IndustriALL
- we invited Deva Holding/EastPharma to respond; we will indicate in next week's Update whether it responds
Bahrain: Govt. announces plans to overhaul trade laws to improve human rights protections, increase cooperation with UN human rights bodies
syndigate.info (Saudi Arabia)
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Company responses
Non-responses
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Reminder: Africa Regional Forum on Business & Human Rights - Addis Ababa, 16-18 Sep
- deadline for registration: 1 Sep
Other forthcoming events
- conference on ecological sustainability and social equity (Leipzig, 2 Sep)
- "The Hague Conference on Business and Human Security" (The Hague, 2 Sep)
- seminar on transparency and good governance (Melbourne, 4 Sep)
- due diligence in the private security industry - webinar (9 Sep)
- corporations, global food system and human rights (Oslo, 11-12 Sep)
- human trafficking, human rights and business - webinar (16 Sep)
- workshop: practical guide to business and human rights (London, 17 Sep)
- conference on CSR & the legal profession (London,18-19 Sep)
- course on implementation of UNGPs by businesses (Frankfurt, 23 Sep)
- gender equality, human rights and business - webinar (24 Sep)
- business engagement workshop on IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (Washington DC, 25 Sep)
- training course on stakeholder engagement (Frankfurt, 25 Sep)
Details of these and future events can be found here.
Please send relevant event information to Sam Whannel: whannel@business-humanrights.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 do not vouch for their accuracy.
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