Weekly Update - 4 July 2018

Financial Times, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) 

• Lafarge charged by French judges with complicity in crimes against humanity, financing of a terrorist enterprise & endangerment of people's lives
• Lafarge accused of making protection payments to militant groups, including ISIS
• First time a multinational parent company in France has been indicted for the activities of one of its subsidiaries abroad
• ECCHR hails move as a "decisive step forward in the fight against the impunity of multinationals operating in armed conflict zones"  
• Company says allegations “do not fairly represent the responsibilities of Lafarge SA.”

    
(Photo credit: Phil Sangwell CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Amy Sinclair, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in Thomson Reuters

Mariam Bhacker and Alia Hindawi, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

• Launch of Building Responsibly Principles sets baseline for treatment of construction workers by companies
• We are surveying 85 construction companies across Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE on labour rights practice; Gulf survey questions & company list now online

Conniel Malek, Director, True Costs Initiative

• Speakers include Anneliese Dodds (UK MP & Shadow Treasury Minister) and Prof. David Kinley, author of the new book: "Necessary Evil: How to Fix Finance by Saving Human Rights"

• We invited Facebook to respond; it did not

AsiaTimes

Human Rights Watch

John G. Ruggie & Emily K. Middleton, Harvard Kennedy School, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government

• Toolkit aimed at  all industries & provides guidance on how to identify & mitigate actual and potential safeguarding risks

• We invited Acacia Mining to respond; response provided

Guardian (Nigeria)

• Farmers allege lack of informed consent & adequate compensation

BBC News

In The Public Interest; Yahoo News; In These Times; Washington Post; Daily Beast

• We invited the companies implicated to respond:
  • We received responses from: Comprehensive Health Services, CoreCivic & GEO Group 
  • Dynamic Educational Systems & Dynamic Service Solutions did not respond

New York Times

• Cities of San Francisco & Oakland argued BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Shell should help pay for projects to protect against rising sea levels 

In These Times

Australian Govt.; Thomson Reuters; News.com.au

• Modern Slavery bill was introduced to Australian Parliament on 28 June 
• Includes summary of key elements of the bill, commentary and link to bill text

Khmer Times

Andy Hall

Traidcraft Exchange; Taylors of Harrogate

Radio Free Asia

ULNFOX; Bellona (Russia)

• We invited Anhui Conch Cement to respond; response provided in Chinese (unofficial English translation also provided)

BBC News​

FEMNET

Gulf Digital News Online

• Hotline aims to collect reports & educate workers about their rights
• Most calls concerned labour rights and advice on workplace situations

Middle East Monitor

Thomson Reuters Foundation

• Webinar: Unpacking mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence developments in Europe. Session 5 - Germany: proposal for Human Rights Due Diligence Act by German NGOs (5 July, online)
• Course: Business and Human Rights - Interdisciplinary Challenges and Opportunities (8-20 July, Zurich)
• Conference: International Conference on Business and Human Rights: Holding Governments Accountable in Asia (12-18 July, Bangkok)
• Conference: Human Rights and Technology (24 July, Sydney)

• Stronger Togther (Expert Consultants Network)
• The International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) (Communications Assistant)
• Poder (Field Programs Director – Strategic Research and Community Organizing)
• The International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers’ Association (ICoCA) (Research Intern)
• Advocates for International Development and the Rule of Law Expertise UK (ROLE UK) (Programme Officer)
• The International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers’ Association (ICoCA) (Communications and Outreach Officer)
• Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and PWESCR in India (Intern)