Weekly Update - 29 March 2017

• proposed legislation so far supported by Adidas, and Australian investors Cbus, HESTA and IFM; UN Principles for Responsible Investment calls on other investors to follow suit
• Walk Free Foundation publishes recommendations and supporting materials for stakeholders 
• see also: Australia: Pacific Islands farm workers allege slave-like conditions in horticulture; recruitment agent unlikely to pay compensation to workers

(Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald)

Mauricio Lazala, Deputy Director, on World Economic Forum Global Agenda

KnowTheChain

• short reflections from our outgoing NYC-based Deputy Director

Global Network Initiative

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Intl. Rights Advocates

Global Business Initiative on Human Rights

• briefing examines recent developments in access to remedy for business-related human rights impacts

Premium Times (Nigeria)

Standard Digital

Mighty Earth; Guardian (UK); New York Times

• we invited the companies to respond: Bunge, Cargill, ADM responses provided; we will indicate in a forthcoming Update whether Burger King responds

Bloomberg
 

Survival Intl.

New York Times; Electronic Frontier Foundation; Huffington Post (USA); Washington Post; ACLU 

• Trump administration says it will ratify the vote
• civil rights advocates decry the move

Radio New Zealand; teleSUR; MiningWatch; Akali Tange Association

• Barrick Gold, in statement & response to local NGO, says that only "18 structures were removed", it was not aware of or involved in police action

Radio Free Asia

Associated Press

• articles & original report by NGO Transparentem include comments by 14 companies

Desiblitz

New Straits Times

European Coalition for Corporate Justice

Susi Meret & Sergio Goffredo, Aalborg Univ., in openDemocracy 

Guardian (UK)

Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights

• we invited G4S to respond; response provided

John Fallon, CEO of Pearson, in Fortune 

Centre for Environment & Human Rights

• conference on global digital rights (29-31 Mar, Brussels)
• seminar: impact of Sustainable Development Goals on workers (30 Mar, London)
• webinar: role of entrepreneurship in combatting human trafficking (30 Mar, online)
• seminar reflecting on one year of the Modern Slavery Act (30 Mar, London)
• launch of key report on extractive industries (31 Mar, Aberdeen)
• course on corporate sustainability accelerators (3-5 Apr, New Haven)

• Bangladesh Accord Foundation (2 posts: Communication Assistant; Research Assistant)
• Ethical Trading Initiative (2 posts: Programme Consultant; Senior Policy & Advocacy Adviser)
• Fair Food Standards Council (2 posts: Director of Complaint Resolution; Financial Analyst)
• Intl. Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers Association (Executive Director)
• Wellspring Advisors (Program Officer, Intl. Human Rights Program)