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Weekly Update
Lead Story
Thai Govt. scraps plans to use prison labour on fishing boats after 45 organizations sign letter condemning move 

Reuters; News 24 (Thailand); Trades Union Congress; Undercurrent News; Human Rights Watch

  • letter signed by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Fortify Rights, Human Rights at Sea, Human Rights Watch & others
(photo credit SeaDave via flickr under CC BY 2.0)
International
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Americas
Asia & Pacific
Europe & Central Asia
Middle East & North Africa
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International
NGOs trace 63% of global carbon emissions back to just 90 companies

Heinrich Böll Foundation

  • NGOs call for companies to pay levy to intl. mechanism for loss & damage to compensate poor communities impacted by climate change
GlaxoSmithKline & Pfizer must lower prices to make vaccines needed by children affordable in poorer countries, says MSF

Guardian (UK)

  • includes comments by GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer
Indian woman to sue Uber in US courts over alleged rape by driver in Delhi

Independent (UK)


Focus on corporate behaviour change, instead of a binding treaty on business & human rights, says partner at Mazars

Richard Karmel, Mazars blog


Video explains UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights

Danish Institute for Human Rights
Africa
Sierra Leone: 2 Socfin employees shot, injured during protest - locals say deal ceding their land is unfair

Reuters

  • includes comments by Socfin
Kenya: 5 children injured in violent protest over school land allegedly grabbed by local hotel; Weston Hotel distances itself from disputed land

Daily Nation (Kenya)


Companies sourcing from Dem. Rep. of Congo increase efforts to comply with upcoming US conflict mineral reporting deadline

Source Intelligence; Resilinc
Americas
NGO report on alleged human rights abuses & climate change impacts caused by operations of Emgesa, Glencore & Repsol in Peru and Colombia

The Democracy Center, Corporate Europe Observatory, Transnational Institute (TNI); Peruvian Times

  • we invited Emgesa, Glencore & Repsol to respond - responses provided
Ecuador: Enami & Codelco’s open-pit copper mine to start operating despite community’s concerns over possible environmental, human rights impacts

Equal Times (Belgium)


Call for US National Action Plan to include focus on corporate respect for rights domestically, not just internationally

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

  • new submissions on US National Action Plan from ECPAT-USA, Intl. Labor Rights Forum & others also provided
Asia & Pacific
Guest blog: Looking Forward 2015: The “Pillar II” Policy Shift in China and Business Practices in the UNGPs

Dr. Liang Xiaohui, China National Textile and Apparel Council & Peking University


Guest blog: Looking Forward 2015: Upping the ante on addressing corruption as a human rights violation - A view from Asia

Sumi Dhanarajan, Centre for Asian Legal Studies & National University of Singapore


Philippines: Oil & gas firms incl. Shell support first Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative report & call for increased transparency, accountability

Philippine Star


Further to last Update: Uniqlo (part of Fast Retailing) says it will address reported dangerous conditions for migrant workers in Chinese supplier factories

Fast Retailing
Europe & Central Asia
UK: 37 employers named by the govt. for failing to pay workers minimum wage

Independent (UK)


Swiss Coalition of Corporate Justice to collect signatures for referendum on mandatory corporate human rights due diligence YouTube’s Moscow office blocks Ukrainian news channel, following complaint by news agency for Ukrainian separatist militants

ТSN (Ukraine)

  • only available in Russian: Украина: Московский офис YouTube заблокировал канал ТСН по требованию сепаратистов
Middle East & North Africa
Morocco: Villagers continue 3-year protest against alleged toxic pollution by mining company Société Métallurgique 

France 24

  • includes company comments
549 Nepali workers died in Gulf countries in 2014

Ekantipur


Qatar considers imposing penalties on firms failing to pay migrant workers on time

AlBawaba
Company responses
Announcements
Ireland launches consultation on National Action Plan on business & human rights

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland
Events
Forthcoming events:
  • Public Eye Lifetime Award ceremony (Davos, 23 Jan)
  • forum on the future for CSR in Europe (Brussels, 3-4 Feb)
  • challenges & opportunities for business after human rights impact assessments (London, 4 Feb)
  • 6th Alternative Mining Indaba (Cape Town, 9-12 Feb)
  • panel on human rights risks around mine security (Cape Town, 11 Feb)
Details of these and other events further in the future can be found here.  Please send relevant event information to Alex Janczenia: janczenia@business-humanrights.org  
Jobs
Other current vacancies: Further details and other recently posted jobs available here.  Please send job announcements to Alex Janczenia: janczenia@business-humanrights.org  
Español
Colombia y Perú: Informe de ONG sobre cambio climático y supuestos abusos de derechos humanos causados por Emgesa, Glencore y Repsol

The Democracy Center, Corporate Europe Observatory y Transnational Institute (TNI)

  • Nosotros invitamos a las empresas a responder; todas las respuestas están incluídas
México: Pescadores indígenas exigen a Pemex reparación por derrame petrolero que los priva de sus medios de vida

El Universal (México)


México: ICAR & PODER lanzan proyecto para apoyar el desarrollo de un Plan Nacional de Acción sobre empresas y derechos humanos

La Mesa Internacional para la Rendición de Cuentas Empresarial (ICAR) y el Proyecto sobre Organización, Desarrollo, Educación e Investigación (PODER)


Panamá: Corte Interamericana de DD.HH. responsabiliza al Estado de la vulneración a los derechos de indígenas debido a construcción de represa

Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos


México: Comunidades indígenas rechazan proyectos eólicos en el Istmo de Tehuantepec por el impacto ambiental y social que podrían tener

 La Jornada Oaxaca (México); CMDPDH (México)

  • Defensores y defensoras de derechos humanos han sido víctimas de hostigamiento y abusos - vídeo sobre el caso de la defensora Bettina Cruz
Colombia: Inauguran la represa Hidroeléctrica Sogamoso pese a diversas reclamaciones de las comunidades por supuestas afectaciones a la salud; Isagen anuncia programas comunitarios

Movimiento Social en Defensa del Río Sogamoso - Movimiento Colombiano Ríos Vivos (Colombia); Isagen


Ecuador: Tensiones por inicio de explotación de minería a cielo abierto por Enami-EP y Codelco, pese a temores por impactos en los derechos humanos y el ambiente

Equal Times (Bélgica)


Honduras: Opositores a hidroeléctrica en riesgo tras asesinato de indígena Lenca

PBI Honduras; CEHPRODEC


República Dominicana: Muchos empresarios agrícolas se benefician de trabajo haitiano migratorio, dicen sacerdotes

Diario Libre (República Dominicana)


Perú: Indígenas dicen que Pluspetrol sigue incumpliendo acuerdos para descontaminar fuentes de agua que afectan su salud

Consulta.la (Perú)


Chile: Nueva Guía de Evaluación Ambiental para empresas que afecten la biodiversidad incluye aspectos relacionados con los derechos humanos

Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental (Chile), ComunicaRSE (Argentina)


Canadá: Organizaciones sociales llaman al cierre del Instituto Minero, Petrolero y de Gas de una coalición de universidades por “impactos destructivos en comunidades y el medio ambiente”

MiningWatch (Canadá)
Français
France : Amnesty Intl. publie des recommandations pour un devoir de vigilance des entreprises transnationales

Amnesty International France


Côte d'Ivoire : 4 personnes condamnées pour détournement des indemnités des victimes du Probo Koala 

Jeune Afrique


Chine : Une ONG accuse des fournisseurs d’Uniqlo de mettre en danger la santé de leurs salariés

AFP

  • comprend une déclaration de l'entreprise
Suisse : Des ONG lancent une initiative populaire pour un devoir de diligence raisonnable des entreprises

Alliance Sud (Suisse)


Nigéria : Total annonce la fin du brûlage de gaz sur son champ pétrolier d'Ofon

Agence Ecofin


Gabon : Une ONG porte plainte contre plusieurs entreprises des secteurs pétrolier, forestier et minier

Gaboneco

  • les accuse de détournement et responsabilité « du niveau de pauvreté des populations »
Les entreprises de plus en plus scrutées sur leurs performances relatives aux droits de l’homme

Novethic (France)


Repsol abandonne ses prospections pétrolières au large des îles Canaries auxquelles les habitants s’opposaient

Le Monde (France)


France : La Cour de cassation annule la décision d’appel condamnant l’exploitant de l’usine AZF après l’explosion mortelle de 2001

Novethic (France) 


Burkina Faso : Des populations en colère obligent True Gold Mining à suspendre ses activités

Le Pays; L'Observateur Paalga; Sidwaya; Lefaso.net (Burkina Faso)


Niger : Une ONG locale dénonce la pollution liée à l'exploitation de l'uranium, Areva rejette les accusations

France Info
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We take no position on views by commentators, organizations & companies in the materials in this email: http://business-humanrights.org/en/about-us/disclaimer
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