Here are some links that I have collected, some are friend's sites and some are just great sites that I've found on the internet. Check them out if you have time.
Please join us...for a roundtable on the UN framework with emphasis on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. We have Christine Bader here to share the framework for the UN business and human rights presented and promoted by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative. Before this framework officially submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011, we would like to hear suggestions and opinions from you! Your participation will be an opportunity to express your concerns and make contribution to this important international policy from China's perspective... Host: Mr. LIU Kaiming, Executive Director of ICODate: Wednesday 24 March...[and] Thursday 25 March 2010
Dans le present rapport, le Rapporteur special analyse le role joue par les acheteurs de produits de base, ceux qui transforment ces produits et par les distributeurs dans la realisation du droit a l'alimentation [La] grande majorite de ceux qui ont faim dans le monde d'aujourd'hui font aussi partie de la filiere alimentaire: en effet, les petits producteurs de denrees independants et les travailleurs agricoles salaries employes dans des fermesrepresentent plus de la moitie du milliard de personnes qui souffrent de la faim aujourd'hui [Le] Rapporteur special s'interroge sur la maniere dont les politiques d'approvisionnement, de fixation des prix et salariales suivies par les acheteurs, les transformateurs et les distributeurs influent sur le droit a l'alimentation.
Corporate sustainability disclosure is a hot topic, whether the issue is climate change, biodiversity, labour and supply chains, or human rights. In a report...last December, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) made [two] recommendations...that may be controversial First, that the OSC should conduct further continuous disclosure reviewsin order to assess corporate compliance; in particular, in the area of governance. Second, that it should continue to provide educational outreach to issuers, including additional guidance on existing environmental disclosure requirements. Both recommendations are sound and represent important steps in the right direction[but] there is also room for improvement in the law.
Rights activists and residents have accused the Canadian owners [Goldcorp] of Guatemala's largest gold mine of exploiting local communities. Most worrying, they say, is the use of highly toxic cyanide to separate gold particles from the rock. Some residents claim that dangerous waste from the mine is making their children sick. [Parents who work at the minesaid that speaking out against their employer would cost them their jobs. Goldcorp denies these accusationsinvestigations have been conducted in Guatemalain response to allegations of medical conditions and skin rashesno evidence exists that these conditions are related to the operation marlin mine in Guatemala]
Newly announced charitable partnerships between members of the private sector and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces constitute a blatant violation of basic governance and transparency standards, according toGlobal Witness... It is unacceptable for private companies to be financing a military renowned for its corruption and involvement in illegal activities and human rights abuses, Global Witness campaigns director Gavin Hayman said in the statementThe planlaid out in a document signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on February [partners] prominent companies and individuals from the private sector, including ANZ Royal Bank, Bayon TV and Canadia Bank with government offices and military units. This arrangementwill provide military families with daily necessitiesthough some observers fear it will leave the armed forces accountable to private rather than public interestsMinistry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Koy Kuong said..."Global Witness never reports any good things from Cambodia. They are like representatives of the opposition.
Con motivo del centesimo aniversario del Dia Internacional de las Mujeres, el Fondo de Desarrollo de la ONU para las Mujeres (UNIFEM) y el Pacto Global de la ONU (UNGC) hicieron el dia 8 un llamado a la comunidad empresarial para que pongan en practica de manera activa medidas encaminadas a impulsar el empoderamiento y la inclusion de las mujeres en la fuerza de trabajo, sobre todo en reclutamiento y contratacion....presentaron...un documento llamado "Principios de Empoderamiento de las Mujeres: Igualdad es Negocio" que incluye siete pasos que las companias deben dar para empoderar a las mujeres en los lugares de trabajo.
Musician finally masters extraordinarily difficult guitar part he heard on a record, only to learn the recording had been made with more than one guitar.
[S]ix Toyota veteransagreed: The memo they were about to send to senior management could damage their careers. The workers had recognized a troubling trendThe union men had watched the company take what they believed were dangerous safety and manpower shortcuts to lower costs and boost productionToyota's failure to act, the two-page notice warned, may "become a great problem that involves the company's survival" They presented the letter to managementToyota never respondedToyota officials said they could not confirm they received the memo but declined to comment further. "Communication is the backbone of our labor-management relations," company spokesman Paul Nolasco said in Tokyo
La prevention des violations des droits de l'homme, et en particulier de la liberte d'expression, est une question importante pour le secteur des services informatiques exportateurs de technologies qui pourraient etre utilises par les regimes repressifs a des fins de censure d'Internet et de surveillance numerique De l'avis de Vigeo,les entreprises doivent proceder a une evaluation des risques lies a des violations des droits sociaux et civils... Les compagnies doivent etre conscientes des lois et reglements dans les pays cibles avant de decider d'entrer sur ces marches afin d'eviter toute complicite dans les violations des droits de l'homme. [fait reference a Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, Sony, Acer, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, IBM, Nokia, Dell, Hewlett Packard (HP)]
En cette celebration de la Journee internationale de la femme, une initiative visant a renforcer l'autonomisation des femmes a ete lancee, ce matin, au Siege des Nations Unies a New York.... L'initiative conjointe UNIFEM-Pacte mondial des Nations Unies, intitulee principes pour le renforcement de l'autonomie des femmes egalite signifie travail , propose sept mesures que peuvent prendre les entreprises pour promouvoir l'autonomisation des femmes a la fois dans le monde du travail et sur le marche de l'emploi, a explique Mme Ines Alberdi, Directrice executive de l'UNIFEM Les differents principes proposes se basent aussi sur des facteurs sous-jacents qui ont une incidence sur les affaires, comme la violence a l'egard des femmes [fait reference a Copel (Companhia Paranaense de Energia)]
In the report, the Special Rapporteur discusses the impact of major international sports events (mega-events) on the realization of the right to adequate housing, in particular, the positive and negative legacy of hosting the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup. She provides an overview of the practices and procedures of the International Olympic Committee and International Association of Football Federations, especially on their bidding and selection process for host cities and countries. In addition, she offers some insights on the role played by sponsors, as well as some examples of positive and negative practices of host cities and countries. In her conclusion, the Special Rapporteur urges States to uphold their human rights obligations when organizing such mega-events and addresses some specific recommendations to States, the International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Football Federations.
I read yourarticle on Media misreporting and Apple's CSR and would like to offer a comment. .. Firstly, hats off to Apple for a very transparent and readable report...For those of us in major brands whohave had to deal with the media, it comes as no surprise that bad news sells papersEfforts by companies to manage the complexities of workplace conditions which are impacted bythread-bare industrial relations and a host of other factors is often left at the door when an emotional touchstone is available for a headline about child labour. However, your stated concern that the apple story will reinforce the conservatism of many Asian companies who are cautious about being transparent perhaps misstates the riskI am therefore hopeful that the Asian companies that subscribe to your newsletter see that the merit of transparency far outweighs the risks of media exposure it lifts their standing, rather than diminishes it.
As members of the Confederation Generale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM)we commit ourselves to respectand, by means at our disposal, promote fundamental rights [including]Respect freedom of associationprevent all forms of discrimination and promote equal opportunities between men and womenprohibit the use of child labour, promote collective bargaining, provide health and safety conditions to all employees, at least in line with legal requirements and decent sanitary infrastructure, strictly respect the legislation on occupational accidents and illnessesprevent and mitigate accidental damage on environment, health or on safetyconsider as purchasing criteriasubcontractor or suppliersocial protection of their employees, the respect of minimum employment age.
The United Nations is launching a set of Women's Empowerment Principlesto mark International Women's Day 2010. The principles an initiative of the UN Global Compact and the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) are a code of conduct for companies on gender equalityThe principles are rooted in human rights and recognise the fundamental importance of equality and non-discrimination within the international human rights frameworkLaunch of the Women's Empowerment Principles is a welcome step in ensuring that gender considerations sit squarely within the broader business and human rights frameworkGender is not an add-on to this debate; it is of fundamental importance and needs to be a strong component of any accountability framework for business and human rights. [refers to Rio Tinto]
Battles over forcible acquisition of agricultural land for industry are raging across India[I]n India's tribal beltindigenoustribes, known as adivasis, have upset the plans of corporate groups such as Vedanta, Tata Steel [part of Tata Group], Essar Steel and National Mineral Development Corp to tap mineral riches[C]ritics say that pro-business government officials...brazenly manipulat[e] public consultation processes and overrid[e] community sentiments to take tribal landsThese conflictsare helping to fuel the radical Naxalite guerrilla movement in the tribal belt"The Indian regulatory system is robust - it does not leave room for anybody to take advantage," says Mukesh Kumar, Vedanta AluminiumHowever, the Church of England and several other social investors recently sold their shareholdings in Vedanta , citing concern for the way the company had handled its relations with local communitiesTata says villagers will be given "land for land", skills training and the promise of a job to one member of every affected household"I think that development is something that everyone, especially if it's brought by a company like Tata, would find acceptable," says Sanjay Choudhry of Tata Steel...
Philip Morris International [part of Altria], has filed an arbitration claim against the Republic of UruguayThe firm contends that a series of measures taken by Uruguay to dampen tobacco use in that country have given rise to breaches of the Switzerland-Uruguay bilateral investment treaty. ...[T]he arbitration appears likely to grapple with the thorny relationship between investment treaty protections and public health regulation by governmentsPhilip Morris International turned to arbitration on February 19with the World Bank-affiliated International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)Uruguay is viewed within public health circles as having taken some of the most aggressive measures to curb tobacco useCallard, of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, says that theclaim against Uruguay may be viewed as a shot across the bow of other Latin American countries contemplating more rigorous regulation.
GI-NET seeks to fill an Analyst position in its Conflict Risk Network (CRN) program. CRN coordinates a network of institutional investors, financial service providers and related stakeholders interested in addressing the role corporate actorsplay in areas affected by genocide and severe conflictThe successful candidate will[c]onductresearch and compile key financial data on companies materially involved in select GI-NET Areas of Concern[T]ailor corporate responsibility standards and recommendations for responsible corporate behavior in select GI-NET Areas of Concern.
...We are witnessing today numerous contracts between private partners of which effects on social and environmental fields depend upon the public interest... The lack of international consensus, on which the recent stage report of Prof. John Ruggie focuses, does not give any sign of hope of adopting international conventional tools on the subject before a long time. In this context, the Sherpa association considers that a specific and original juridical tool should be developed in that sense. Its objective would focus on translating the new borders of the public interest - induced by the ever-growing intervention of private operators - into international contractual obligations. The concept of the sustainable contract, of which we describe the outline hereinafter, aims at giving answers which could form a relevant synthesis between typical CSR soft and hard-law tools.
Global poverty campaigners staged a 'charity cake sale' this morning outside the London offices of[Dechert LLP] which represents 'vulture funds'. The stuntwas intended to raise money to help wean the company off the unprincipled money they make through vulture cases. Vulture fundsseek to profit by buying distressed debt belonging to companies or countries on the secondary market at a steep discount, then seeking to make a profit by claiming back the original debt and moreParliament is due to vote on legislation to curb the ability of vulture funds to sue through the British courts. Last November, Dechert represented two funds in the High Court, winning a $20 million award against Liberia, one of the poorest countries in the world. Dechert opposed [the legislation], on behalf of several hedge funds, telling a Government consultation that legislation would be unfair and unprincipled. Nick Dearden, Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign said:"Vulture funds are anathema to anyone interested in fighting global poverty, and making money from vulture cases is shameful behaviour. [also refers to Dechert clients Elliott Associates, Kensington International, NML] [Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Dechert to respond, but it declined]
La brigada 17 del Ejercito Nacional y la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana bombardearon la comunidad indigena de Alto Guayabal del Resguardo Urada Jiguamiando...el 30 de enero de 2010...dejando como resultado de este ataque varios indigenas gravemente heridos y la muerte de un bebe indigena...La clara intencion del bombardeo es desplazar a la comunidad indigena y negra, para dar via libre al proyecto minero Mande Norte...el gobierno de Uribe ha otorgado a las multinacionales Muriel Mining Co, Anglo Gold Ashanti y a la Glencore todas las concesiones...estos territorios colectivos son de propiedad de las comunidades negras de Jiguamiando y de los resguardos indigenas de Urada-Jiguamiando y Murindo del pueblo embera-Katio, territorios ancestrales.
El proximo 9 de marzo se cumple un ano del inicio de la protesta en Managua de los ex trabajadores azucareros y viudas de la Asociacion Nicaraguense de Afectados por Insuficiencia Renal Cronica (ANAIRC), quienes siguen luchando para que se abra una mesa de negociaciones con la Nicaragua Sugar Estates Ltd., propietaria del Ingenio San Antonio e integrante del Grupo Pellas, y se les indemnice por los danos causados a su salud....43 organizaciones nacionales e internacionales reafirmaron...su respaldo a los ex trabajadores...
Water in China: Issues for Responsible Investors... reveals that...China's water shortages are...responsible for direct...losses of US$35 billion every year...[the report] draws on case studies from ten industries that have the most impact on water in China including agriculture, forest products, textiles and beverages...The Asia Water Project: China...is a unique collaborative research and web portal targeting investors and business, offering access to relevant information about China's growing water crisis and fostering dialogue to encourage better water management.
A Chinese factory contracted to produce figurines of World Cup mascot Zakumi has been forced to stop work after accusations that it was running a sweatshop. Fifa's worldwide licensing representative, Global Brands Group, has suspended its approval of Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products & Gifts after an inspection and audit of its factory. The audit was prompted by international media reports that the workers at the factory were paid R23 a day and teenagers were forced to work 13-hour shifts to manufacture Zakumi figures...Global Brands Group spokesman Paul Zacks said..."...approval for this factory to manufacture these figurines has been temporarily suspended, affording them the opportunity to put in place corrective actions and measures to ensure the factory remedies its non-compliance"...
Quatre ambulances medicalisees, trois echographies doppler et divers equipements de laboratoire et de chirurgie. Tel est l'essentiel de l'appareillage medical que la Fondation Sonatel a mis a la disposition de quelque huit structures sanitaires [du pays]...Finalite : contribuer de maniere dynamique au relevement du plateau technique national et, surtout, renforcer la prise en charge medicale des populations... Pour sa part, le president du conseil d'administration de la Fondation Sonatel Cheikh Tidiane Mbaye...a indique: Il importe egalement de veiller a la formation des utilisateurs et des techniciens .
BSR's HERprojecta factory-based women's health initiativehas significantly improved women's health awareness, leadership skills, and relationships with their employers, according to a new BSR report revealing results of research conducted after the first year of HERproject programs in China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Pakistan, and Vietnam... Participating companies include Abercrombie & Fitch, Clarks, Columbia Sportswear, HP, Levi Strauss & Co., Nordstrom, and Timberland.
The Global Network Initiative (GNI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan Morgan as its first Executive Director...Ms. Morgan expects to begin her role at GNI in May of this year, joining from British Telecommunications (BT), where she was head of corporate responsibility (CR) strategy, policy and business planning. Today, GNI also announces the formation of its Board of Directors...Finally, GNI has published on its website a Governance Charter that establishes a formal decision-making and accountability structure...
Appeal urges cell phone users to forward a text message so ATT will donate 45 cents towards the medical care of a 14-year-old boy shot by his stepfather.
Article contrasts compensation paid to families of September 11 victims with benefits paid to families of U.S. military personnel killed on active duty.
Alert warns that entering "Automation Labs" into Facebook's "Block List" option will display a list of twenty people who have access to your Facebook account.
