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Weekly Update - 2 July 2014

Lead Story
NEW WEBSITE of Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is live!
New features include:
UN Human Rights Council adopts 2 resolutions on business & human rights sponsored by Ecuador and by Norway
Resolutions establish intergovernmental working group to elaborate binding treaty, renew mandate of UN Working Group on business & Human Rights
compiled by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre     
Also provided:
  • analysis of recent developments by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
  • statements & commentary by: Intl. Organisation of Employers, ESCR-Net, CIDSE, Human Rights Watch, Treaty Alliance
International
Africa
Americas
Asia & Pacific
Europe & Central Asia
Announcements
Events
Jobs
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International
Danish Institute for Human Rights & Intl. Corporate Accountability Roundtable release report on National Action Plans on business & human rights
  • provides toolkit for development, implementation & review of govt. commitments to business & human rights; highlights 10 criteria for National Action Plans
UN Working Group on business & human rights launches online consultation re guidance on national action plans to implement UN Guiding Principles
Deadline: 1 Sep
   

US appeals court rules lawsuit against CACI over alleged torture of Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib can be heard in USA
Also provided: court's ruling; our profile of the full case
Reuters & Center for Constitutional Rights

US State Department reports reveal that investigation into Blackwater operations in Iraq before 2007 shooting was abandoned after death threat
New York Times

Center for International Environmental Law invites sign-ons to petition calling on World Bank President to ensure that new safeguard policies respect & protect human rights  
 
"Modern slavery will continue if corporations keep passing the buck" but helping solve the problem makes "good business sense", says Mark Lagon of Georgetown Univ. 

Guardian (UK)
Africa
UN announces Africa Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights - 16-18 Sep, Addis Ababa

Uganda: Senior IMF official calls for transparency to ensure oil revenue benefit local people
Daily Monitor (Uganda) 

Malawi: Fishermen fear loss of livelihood if oil is discovered in Lake Malawi
News 24 (So. Africa)

Malawi: Lobby group calls for mainstreaming of HIV programmes in mining regions
BNL Times (Malawi) 
Americas
Colombia: Nestlé trade union leader protected by govt. suffers armed attack
We invited Nestlé to respond – response provided
Amnesty International

Peru: NGO releases report saying that extractive industries negatively affect human rights defenders
Front Line Defenders

USA: Ikea raises minimum wage in US stores, ties wage to independent living wage calculator
Move is reportedly unprecedented among US retailers
Huffington Post (USA)

USA: BP asks court to order return of overpayments due to "erroneous implementation" of 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill settlement
Times-Picayune (USA)
Asia & Pacific
Thailand: Further to last week’s update re Guardian report on slavery, killings in fishing industry
  • Mahachai Fishing Boat Association rejects media reports & says they don’t use trafficked workers
  • Thai Fishery Producers Coalition claims industry has made efforts to eliminate forced & child labour; calls for upgrade in US report
  • UK govt. orders British Retail Consortium to produce new transparency guidance 
India: Comptroller & Auditor General of India raise serious concerns over acquisition and allotment of land made to major industrial houses in Odisha
Economic Times
  • problems including forgery of villagers’ signatures, lack of impact assessments
Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh publishes factory inspection reports, releases footage from safety inspections

Myanmar: Sunflowers Group Social Enterprise brings economic opportunities to women in Kachin displaced-persons camps
Myanmar Times 
 
Thai judge says authorities have failed to comply with procedures for consultation with local people in developing Xayaburi Dam in Laos
Nation (Thailand) & Reuters
  • judge writes, “evidence suggests relevant authorities have failed to adequately listen to the opinions of people”
Nepal: Commentary calls for Himalaya expedition sponsors to take greater responsibility amidst high number of deaths among guides
Myanmar Times 
 
Don Sahong dam in Laos to undergo consultation process as requested by Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, says Laos Govt.
Bangkok Post   
  • Laos Govt. still plans to continue with construction
EU countries call for increased compensation for victims of Rana Plaza building collapse
Guardian (UK); trade & economy ministers of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK

Applications for forest & environment clearance to be digitised - activists fear new process will favour investors' interests over people & ecology
Telegraph (India); Press Trust of India

 
Europe & Central Asia
UN Working Group on business & human rights announces visit to Azerbaijan, 18-27 Aug - requests input

UK: Nestlé says it will pay living wage to all contractors by 2017
BBC News
Company responses Non-responses
Announcements
UN seeking input to 3rd UN Forum on Business & Human Rights - Geneva, Dec; deadline for input extended to 1 Aug

 
Events
  • course on human rights incl. half day on business & human rights (London, 30 Jun-4 Jul)
  • barriers to justice across jurisdictions (London, UK, 2 Jul)
  • workshop on operationalising UN Guiding Principles (London, 3-4 Jul)
  • panel discussion on Qatar 2022 World Cup (London, 8 Jul)
  • Tilburg Univ. Summer School - Business and Human Rights (Tilburg, Netherlands, 14-18 Jul)
  • "Globalization, Competitiveness and Human Rights Guarantee" (Madrid, 14-15 Jul)
  • corporate human rights abuse and access to justice (London, 17 Jul)
Details of these and future events can be found here
Please send relevant event information to Sam Whannel: whannel@business-humanrights.org
Jobs
Ashden (International Programme Officer); CCR CSR (Project Officer); Christian Aid (Principle Advisor); SumOfUs (Campaigner/Data Analyst)
Español
Novedades sobre el tratado vinculante sobre empresas y derechos humanos:
Compilado por el Centro de Información sobre Empresas y Derechos Humanos
  • El Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU aprueba crear un tratado de empresas y derechos humanos
  • Exhortaciones de la sociedad civil, incluyendo la declaración de la RED-DESC sobre la resolución
Colombia: Sindicato Nacional de la Industria de Alimentos denuncia ataque a líder sindical de Nestlé
Amnistía Internacional; Sinaltrainal
  • Nosostros invitamos a Nestlé a responder; la respuesta está disponible
Colombia: Mediante tutela, 3 trabajadores que habían sido “injustamente” despedidos por Prosegur, deberán ser reintegrados a sus puestos de trabajo
Agencia de Información Laboral, ENS (Colombia) 
 
Perú: Informe de ONG dice que abusos de las industrias extractivas afecta a defensores de derechos humanos
Front Line Defenders 

Colombia: Apagón de Gas Natural Fenosa genera disturbios; al menos 32 personas fueron afectadas por inhalación de agentes químicos

Observatorio de multinacionales en América Latina, OMAL
Incluye comentarios de Electricaribe
Français
L'ONU annonce le Forum régional africain sur les entreprises et les droits de l'homme, 16-18 sept., Addis-Abeba

Colombie : Attentat contre un syndicaliste de Nestlé qui était protégé par le gouvernement
Nous avons invité Nestlé à répondre aux allégations. Réponse de Nestlé disponible
Amnesty International

A Genève, le Conseil national des droits de l'homme marocain souligne son travail pour la mise en œuvre des Principes directeurs de l'ONU
Le Matin (Maroc)

L'Union Panafricaine des Avocats fait des recommandations pour mieux lutter contre les flux financiers illicites en provenance d'Afrique
Union panafricaine des avocats (PALU) &  Iwacu (Burundi)


Etats-Unis : BP demande à la justice d’ordonner la restitution des indemnités « indûment payées » à des entreprises après la marée noire de 2010
Le Figaro (France)


Thaïlande : Casino signe un accord avec les syndicats pour renforcer sa responsabilité sociétale notamment dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement
Groupe Casino

 
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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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