Weekly Update - 20 Apr 2016

• report says firms need to ensure suppliers change practices in line with standards & re-write business models in supply chains to ensure benefits reach farmers
• 9 out of 10 companies have improved ratings by at least 10% since 2013; Unilever, Nestlé, Coca-Cola take top 3 spots
• we invited companies to respond to their ratings; we will indicate responses next week

(Photo credit: Oxfam)

• responses so far from Cisco, Ericsson, Hon Hai (Foxconn), HP, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

Mariam Bhacker, in Guardian (UK)

convened by UN Working Group on business & human rights

• keynote address by John Ruggie
• programme (also available in Arabic)
• "Voices from Asia on business & human rights": perspectives from China, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar,
• follow the conversation (#VoicesFromAsia) & our Asia researchers on twitter

Center for Intl. Environmental Law; Inside Climate News, New York Times, Los Angeles Times

• see also: ExxonMobil asks court to block criminal inquiry into whether it conspired to hide its knowledge about climate change

• commentaries by Amnesty Intl., Human Rights Watch, Institute for Human Rights and Business, Intl. Trade Union Confederation, Terre des Hommes & others

Michael Hobbes, in Foreign Policy

• parliamentary portfolio committee reports found the company destroyed farmers’ crops, displaced people without compensation, was complicit in police violence
• author attempted to seek a response from the company; company has not yet responded

• Kenya: Institute for Human Rights and Business briefing note on good practices in developing Natl. Action Plans
• So. Africa: NGOs publish "shadow" natl. baseline assessment on govt.'s implementation of business & human rights frameworks

New Vision (Uganda)

Censat - Friends of the Earth Intl.; Law 360

• indigenous peoples concerned about "irregular proceedings" by companies in attempts to start mining operations
• companies suing govt. include Tobie Mining & Energy, Cosigo Resources

RioOnWatch

Comités Cuenca Río Sonora, PODER & EarthRights Intl.

Huffington Post (USA)

Wall Street Journal

• see also: Greenpeace study finds companies unable to confirm absence of deforestation in their palm oil supply chain; refers to Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo

Guardian (UK)

Prachatai (Thailand)
 

Partido Manggagawa; Interaksyon (Philippines)

• we sought responses from Analog Devices, ON Semiconductor, Texas Instruments (buyers from Seung Yeung); the companies have not responded

Swiss Responsible Business Initiative

Novinite (Bulgaria)

SOMO, Both Ends

• we invited the companies to respond: Atradius, Boskalis and Van Oord responses provided, and rejoinder by SOMO / Both Ends
• we will indicate in a future Update if National Marine Dredging and Jan de Nul respond

Guardian (UK)

Jordan Times

Construction News; Guardian (UK)

• creating access to effective remedies for victims of business-related human rights abuses (Johannesburg, 20 Apr)
• tackling inequality in workplace recruitment: policy reform and best practice (London, 21 Apr)
• "How Human Rights issues can impact your business" (Zurich, 21 Apr)
• webinar: integrating human rights into mergers & acquisitions (21 Apr)
• workshop on business and human rights (Leiden, 22 Apr)
• how companies can work against corruption (Geneva, 22 Apr)
• tools to improve working conditions in global supply chains (London, 26 Apr)
• launch of "Leadership Group for Responsible Recruitment" (London, 4 May)

• Project Manager, Protection of Civic Space & Human Rights Defenders (due 3 May)
• China Researcher & Representative, based in Beijing, China (due 16 May)
• Communications Internship (due 2 May)
• IT & Digital Security Volunteer (rolling application)

• Amnesty Intl. (Gulf Migrants Rights Researcher)
• Ranking Digital Rights (Research Director/Manager)
• Principles for Responsible Investments (Manager, Social Issues & ESG Engagements)
• Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute (Summer Interns & Research Assistants)
• European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (Scholarship for Legal Training)
• Action, Collaboration, Transformation - ACT (Executive Director)
• Fair Labor Association (6 positions)