A new investigation by Global Witness and Finance Uncovered reveals how Shell, the world’s fifth biggest company, participated in a vast bribery scheme for one of Africa’s most valuable oil blocks, known as OPL 245. In 2011 Shell and the Italian oil company Eni paid $1.1 billion in a murky deal for this lucrative asset located off the coast of Nigeria. After a lengthy investigation, Global Witness tracked down documents showing that this money for the rights to exploit the country’s natural resources didn’t go to benefit the Nigerian people as it should have done. Instead it went to convicted money launderer and former oil Minister, Dan Etete, who had awarded himself ownership of the block in 1998 via a company he secretly owned, Malabu Oil and Gas...Shell portrays itself as an oil company that does good: obeying laws, creating jobs and respecting the human rights of people in the countries where it drills for oil. Yet our new investigation finds evidence of the company’s most senior bosses knowingly participating in a vast bribery scheme that would rob Nigeria of life-saving funds. Right now, five million Nigerians face starvation and one in ten children don’t live to see their fifth birthday. The money paid for the block equals more than the 2016 health care budget. It’s one and a half times what the UN says is now needed to respond to the current famine crisis. But the Nigerian people saw none of the money...A Shell spokesperson told Finance Uncovered: “Given this matter is currently under investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment on specifics...Eni told Global Witness that while proceedings were pending against Eni they did not deem it was appropriate to debate the merits of the new allegations.
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New report by Global Witness & Finance Uncovered implicate Shell and ENI in a bribery scandal in exchange for access to Nigeria's oil
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Nordea response
24 Mar 2017
...The connection between Nordea, the companies and the site studied in the report is as follows; BHP Billiton is since October, 2016 no longer active in Borneo. The other companies discussed, we have no holdings in, or has not been caught in our norm-based screening. After the report was launched Nordea has conducted meetings with AAK, BHP Billiton and Deutsche Bank to discuss the raised allegations. Our general conclusion is that these companies are more advanced in their management of environmental risks than social risks, such as indigenous rights. Hence, we have made the companies aware of that improvements have to be made within this area...
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Full report - "Silent Approval: The role of banks linked to the crisis faced by Borneo's indigenous peoples and their forests"
17 Mar 2017
…The destruction of Borneo’s forests has been referred to as one of the greatest environmental crimes of our time. The forest destruction and the dispossession of land from its traditional owners has resulted in a far-reaching human rights disaster. The report Silent Approval is based on an extensive field study in Borneo, which examines the impacts of four companies on indigenous peoples’ rights and links to seven Scandinavian banks. The results of the study show that all the banks invest in several of the companies and that the banks have not acted responsibly. Some of the companies were also included in the ethical funds of the banks.
The report outlines the investments of the Scandinavian banks Danske Bank, Handelsbanken, Länsförsäkringar, Nordea, SEB, Skandia and Swedbank in four companies associated with risks and impacts on indigenous peoples and their forests in Borneo. The report shows that the banks are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the companies, and that none of them have taken appropriate action…
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Scandinavian banks linked to violations of indigenous peoples’ rights in Borneo; banks respond
Swedwatch and Fair Finance Guide Sweden allege in this report that Scandinavian banks have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in companies that are linked to violations of indigenous peoples’ rights in Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia shared by Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited the companies named in this report to respond – the responses are linked below. The report itself also includes a number of company statements.
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Org. Int. do Trab. revisa Decl. sobre Emp.Multinacionais & reforça princípios relacionados a seguridade social, trab. forçado e outros
"OIT revisa sua histórica Declaração sobre Empresas Multinacionais-Seguridade social, trabalho forçado e transição da economia informal para a formal foram reforçados na nova versão do instrumento, que promove a contribuição das empresas multinacionais para o trabalho decente.", 21 de Março de 2017
...A Organização Internacional do Trabalho (OIT) realizou uma revisão de sua histórica Declaração Tripartite de Princípios sobre Empresas Multinacionais e Política Social...Quarenta anos após a adoção da Declaração original, as empresas multinacionais continuam a ser os principais motores da globalização...A...[revisão]...responde a novas realidades econômicas...[L]eva em conta alguns desenvolvimentos ocorridos dentro e fora da OIT..., incluindo as novas normas de trabalho adotadas pela Conferência Internacional do Trabalho, os Princípios Orientadores para Empresas e Direitos Humanos aprovados pelo Conselho de Direitos Humanos da ONU em 2011 e a Agenda 2030 de Desenvolvimento Sustentável . [A]crescent[ou]...princípios que abordam...trabalho decente,...seguridade social, trabalho forçado, transição da economia informal para a formal, salários e acesso a mecanismos de reparação e indenização de vítimas...[F]ornece orientações sobre processos de "devida diligência"– consistentes com os Princípios Orientadores para Empresas e Direitos Humanos da ONU – para alcançar trabalho decente, negócios sustentáveis, crescimento melhor e mais inclusivo e melhor compartilhamento dos benefícios de investimentos estrangeiros diretos...[R]econhece os diferentes papéis e responsabilidades de governo, empresas e parceiros sociais...[É]...o único instrumento global de responsabilidade social corporativa e práticas empresariais sustentáveis que foi elaborado e adotado de forma tripartite por governos, empregadores e trabalhadores de todo o mundo...
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Brazil: Politicians press Min. of Justice to reduce Kawahiva territory to highways, logging & soybean projects
"Revealed: Genocidal plot to open up territory of uncontacted Amazon tribe", 11 April, 2017
...Councillors from Colniza in central Brazil, which is dominated by illegal logging and ranching and for years was Brazil’s most violent town, have met the Minister of Justice to lobby for the Rio Pardo indigenous territory to be drastically reduced in size. The minister is reportedly sympathetic to the councillors’ proposals. Their plan is for road-builders, loggers, ranchers and soya farmers to move in, despite the territory being home to the last of the Kawahiva tribe, one of the most vulnerable peoples on the planet. The Kawahiva depend entirely on the rainforest for survival, and have been on the run from loggers and other invaders for years. The Rio Pardo territory was only recognized in 2016, following a global campaign by Survival International and pressure within Brazil...Now, however, vested interests in the region could undo much of that progress...The Kawahiva are hunter-gatherers, who migrate from camp to camp through the Rio Pardo rainforest. Roads, ranches and logging all risk exposing them to violence from outsiders who steal their lands and resources, and to diseases like flu and measles to which they have no resistance...
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Brasil: Políticos pressionam Min. da Justiça para reduzir território dos Kawahiva para avançar projetos de rodovias, madereiros, fazendeiros & de soja
"Revelado: Plano genocida para abrir território de tribo isolada na Amazônia", 11 abril 2017
...Vereadores e o prefeito de Colniza, no Mato Grosso, a qual é dominada por exploração ilegal de madeira e fazendas e por anos foi a cidade mais violenta do país, se reuniram com o Ministro da Justiça Osmar Serraglio para pressionar para que o território indígena Rio Pardo seja reduzido drasticamente em tamanho. Acredita-se que o ministro simpatize com as propostas dos vereadores. O plano...é para que construtores de rodovias, madeireiros, fazendeiros e plantadores de soja avancem, apesar de o território ser lar para os últimos membros da tribo Kawahiva, um dos povos mais vulneráveis do planeta...[que]...depende completamente da floresta para sua sobrevivência, e...vivem em fuga de madeireiros e outros invasores há anos. O território Rio Pardo só foi reconhecido em 2016, após uma campanha global da Survival International e pressão dentro do Brasil....Agora, no entanto, interesses particulares na região podem desfazer significativamente esse progresso...Estradas, fazendas e exploração de madeira ameaçam expô-los à violência de estranhos que roubam suas terras e recursos, e a doenças como a gripe e o sarampo, às quais não têm resistência...
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Gabon Oil veut améliorer les conditions de travail de ses employés
"Gabon Oil Company veut améliorer les conditions de travail des employés du site de Mboumba", 10 avril 2017
Depuis la reprise du site de Mboumba (autrefois opéré par Total Gabon) par la société nationale des hydrocarbures Gabon Oil Company, les employés font face à des difficultés de plusieurs ordres. Selon un responsable du site, les installations actuelles étaient utilisées par une autre compagnie et n’ont pas subi de réhabilitation depuis. « Ce ne sont pas des installations neuves », confie-t-on sur le site. « Si certaines installations sont encore dans un état acceptable, d’autres nécessitent absolument une intervention », indique un responsable cité par la presse locale. Base vie, outils de production et autres équipements utilisés sur le site sont dans un état vétuste que le directeur général, Arnaud Engandji, promet d’améliorer. Seulement, si des conditions de logements plus décentes seront assurées aux employés, il n’en est pas de même pour les équipements.Le directeur général entend d’abord évaluer la situation et surtout « établir les responsabilités sur l’état actuel du site », avant d’apporter les correctifs nécessaires à cette situation.
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Accountability in "Shipbreaking": The Hong Kong Convention 8 years on, what has changed and what does the future look like?
Join us to discuss and raise awareness of the environmentally damaging and unethical practice of "shipbreaking". We will look at how the companies involved in the practice can be held accountable across the world and whether the Hong Kong Convention is the answer to closing existing loopholes.
Speakers:
Rizwana Hasan, recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, Bangladeshi Environmental Lawyers Association
Ritwick Dutta, Indian Supreme Court Environmental Lawyer, Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment
David Hart QC & Claire McGregor, One Crown Office Row
Ingvild Jenssen & Carlsson, NGO Shipbreaking Platform
Oliver Holland, Leigh Day
Please RSVP by contacting Lily West at lwest@leighday.co.uk by 8th May to secure your place.
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Sénégal/Bargny: le projet de centrale à charbon entériné malgré la contestation
Un projet de centrale à charbon dans la petite ville sénégalaise de Bargny est rejeté par une partie de la population qui a repris ses protestations ces derniers jours, et craint de lourdes conséquences environnementales. Du côté des autorités, on estime que le pays n'a pas le choix s'il veut se développer : l'ouverture de la centrale est donc prévue pour octobre 2017. A Bargny, ni l'érosion côtière due aux changements climatiques, ni la mobilisation d'une partie de la population...n'ont fait reculer les autorités. La construction de la centrale à charbon, à quelques centaines de mètres de la plage, se poursuit. Face à l'avancement des travaux, les habitants qui continuent de se mobiliser contre le projet proposent aujourd'hui un passage du charbon au gaz. « On n'est pas contre l'usine, mais nous proposons la substitution du charbon par le gaz parce que le gaz est moins polluant et en même temps les effets négatifs vont être diminués de 30% », explique Daouda Guèye, habitant de Bargny. La production d'électricité n'est pas suffisante au Sénégal pour répondre aux besoins qui augmentent. L'Etat a donc lancé un plan énergétique, dont l'un des grands projets est cette centrale à charbon, source d'une future pollution selon les habitants qui se mobilisent. Les promoteurs, eux, affirment que le projet respectera les normes internationales. « Bien évidemment, il y a un suivi environnemental et social qui va se faire, en rapport avec les autorités locales et les communautés », promet Badara Gueye, chargé des questions environnementales à la compagnie d'électricité du Sénégal...Pour le maire de la ville, la mobilisation n'a pas porté ses fruits, il fallait tenter autre chose...
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UK: Home Office denies visa to Malagasy farmer intending to attend Rio Tinto's AGM & raise allegations of environmental damage
A Malagasy farmer who says he and his neighbours have lost access to their land because of the UK mining company Rio Tinto has been blocked from visiting London, where he had been due to address the firm’s annual general meeting. Athanase Monja…was refused a visa by the Home Office…[and] told by British officials he had a “lack of qualification” to speak about environmental and human rights concerns. Monja wanted to highlight the impact of the Rio Tinto mine owned and operated by QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM)…The mine was billed as a future model for responsible mining, but campaigners say it has had a devastating impact on the environment and community. QMM…uses a controversial biodiversity offsetting scheme that pledges to counteract environmental damage by protecting other areas. Researchers have questioned the effectiveness of QMM’s offsetting scheme, while a report by Re:Common suggested there was a lack of prior, informed consent from local people about the program…Rio Tinto said in a statement that it welcomes attendance by all interested parties at its annual general meetings…A Home Office spokesperson said: “All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits and the onus is on the applicant to submit the evidence required…
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Sénégal: Centrale à charbon de Bargny : Le directeur de la Senelec clôt le débat
Les habitants de Bargny qui contestent l’installation d’une centrale à charbon dans leur localité devront se faire une raison. Selon le directeur général de la Senelec, le Sénégal n’a pas encore les moyens de renoncer aux énergies fossiles...La construction de la centrale à charbon va se poursuivre. Selon le directeur général de la Société nationale d’électricité (Senelec), Mouhamadou Makhtar Cissé, la question est tranchée, puisque le projet est fini à 70%. M. Cissé...s’est voulu on ne peut plus claire. « Cette centrale date de très longtemps. Elle est finie à 70% et c’est l’Etat qui a pris la décision. (…) Je sais que toutes les procédures ont été respectées. Vous croyez que les gens vont venir investir au Sénégal plus de 100 milliards de francs Cfa s’ils n’ont fait aucune étude, s’ils n’ont aucune autorisation ? » Le Dg de la Senelec ne mâche d’ailleurs pas ses mots pour exprimer son opinion. « J’estime que ce projet est bon pour le Sénégal. (…). Est-ce qu’on a respecté la loi ? Est-ce qu’on a respecté les procédures et les normes ? A ces trois questions, je réponds oui. Maintenant, le reste c’est un débat. »
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Nepal: Govt's hydropower plans may result in widespread human rights abuses including escalating conflicts & irreversible losses to indigenous peoples
"Nepal: Power to the people... At what cost?", Mar 2017
…The government’s plan to tap hydropower potential is beneficial for the country’s economic development. However, such plans and programs, along with those undertaken by multilateral development banks such as the World Bank and private sector investors, are creating suffering among Indigenous Peoples of Nepal. Frequently they are resulting in widespread human rights violations, including escalating conflicts, forced displacements, and irreversible loss of traditional livelihoods and massive environmental degradation.
The areas destined for energy development are typically inhabited by Indigenous Peoples, who are often entirely dependent upon rivers for their livelihood. The implementation of such development projects on or near Indigenous Peoples’ territories without their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) has become the most pervasive source of human rights violations and one of the greatest challenges to exercising their full and internationally recognized human rights. Communities that stand against and obstruct the works are often detained, tortured, or seriously injured and left without justice…
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Australia must legislate to prevent modern slavery in our supply chains
Modern slavery permeates the global supply chains of Australian businesses supplying goods to the Australian market from overseas. Major retailers, including Rip Curl, Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, have all been implicated in recent scandals involving exploitation in their supply chains.
[....] The federal government recently announced it is considering introducing legislation to prevent modern slavery in domestic and global supply chains. [....] But does Australia need a new law?
The evidence from the UK, is that its Modern Slavery Act is creating momentum and driving change. The law has triggered constructive dialogue and elevated the issue of modern slavery to board level within companies. CEO engagement with modern slavery has reportedly doubled since the act was introduced. It is also raising awareness more generally and has generated significant public debate about the responsibilities of companies. Modern slavery has become a priority issue for both mainstream consumers and, significantly, for investors.
[....] The legislation should be designed to encourage businesses to take decisive steps to eradicate slave labour. The UK act provides a useful model for a potential legislative framework. It should not, however, be imported wholesale and requires improving and refining to fit our local context. While building upon the successes of the UK legislation, it is important that Australia also mitigates against its weaknesses.
Strong business support is emerging in Australia for legislative measures to tackle modern slavery, with recent endorsements by the Business Council of Australiaand Wesfarmers. [....] The Australian government must not wait for another Rana Plaza tragedy before acting. As a wealthy, stable nation, we should show regional leadership and take steps to remedy the wrongs in our systems of supply.
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India: Uttar Pradesh cracks down on acid sales as attacks continue to rise; acid throwing is a form of violent assault often directed towards women
“India: Crackdown on acid sales as attacks continue to rise”, 10 Apr 2017
IN his ongoing campaign to crackdown on crime, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed all district magistrates to strictly enforce the rules for the storage and sale of acid commonly used in attacks.
…[A] circular was issued...to all districts in the state declaring it to be mandatory for all acid traders to furnish a stock report to the sub-divisional magistrates within 15 days…
Every licence holder is also required to maintain comprehensive records of sale, detailing the name and address of each buyer along with the quantity and reason for purchase…
In 2013, India increased the penalty for throwing acid on a person to not less than 10 years in prison, and limited the sale of certain over-the-counter acids.
But according to the Acid Survivors Foundation of India (ASFI), attacks have continued to rise…
Acid attacks are a form of violence primarily directed against women, who make up 80 percent of the victims, according to ASFI. Motivation behind such attacks can vary; common ones include family disputes, domestic violence, refusal of proposals, land or money disputes, and suspicion of infidelity…
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Modern Slavery Registry Advisory Committee recommends Australian modern slavery legislation requires mandatory due diligence and disclosure, procurement incentives, and strengthens access to remedy
The Advisory Committee of the Modern Slavery Registry (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Humanity United, Freedom Fund, Anti-Slavery International, Ethical Trading Initiative, Unicef UK, Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX), Freedom United, CORE Coalition) has published its submission regarding the inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia.
The Advisory Committee strongly recommends the Australian government act as a leader in its region and introduce mandatory due diligence and transparency legislation that would be applicable to all companies of a certain size operating within Australia. The Committee recommends a Modern Slavery Act should be introduced in Australia, to ensure coherence with global legislative developments, to ensure a level playing field, to increase disclosure which in turn allows companies to understand what good practice looks like, and enables stakeholders to understand to what extent companies understand and address risks and hold them accountable. Most importantly, legislation can, and in the case of the UK has driven change.
As the UK law built and improved upon the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, the Australian law should build upon existing legislation in the establishment of its own modern slavery act. The Advisory Committee recommends
to replicate strong elements of the transparency in supply chains provision of the UK Modern Slavery Act, namely: annual reporting, legal requirements (board approval, director sign-off, link on homepage), inclusion of both large and medium sized companies, extra-territorial reach, and government guidance on reporting
to improve on the UK Modern Slavery Act, namely: introduce a central registry maintained by the government as well as a publicly available list of companies required to report, require mandatory due diligence and disclosure, include procurement incentives, strengthen monitoring and enforcement by government and access to remedy for victims.
Critically, modern slavery legislation in the UK has helped create a discussion on these issues in the public sphere, which has increased the demand for action. It has also highlighted the role business plays in creating and perpetuating the conditions for modern slavery, but also the potential to assist in eradicating it. It is up to leading governments to drive this discussion even further and continue to demand more of companies no matter where they operate.
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USA: Over 75 members of Congress call on Trump to support activists in Honduras & prevent investment in abusive industries
"US Congress calls for action on Honduras in response to murders of land and environmental activists", 7 Apr 2017
In two strongly worded letters to the new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, almost 80 United States legislators...expressed their grave concern at the risks facing activists who defend their land and the environment in Honduras. A recent Global Witness report exposed how more than 120 land rights defenders have been killed since 2010... [w]ho took a stand against abusive dams, mines, logging or large-scale agriculture on their land. The US is implicated. In 2016 it provided US$98.3 million in bilateral assistance to Honduras, on top of millions more through multilateral agreements. A large chunk of these aid dollars are funding the police or military, which are behind many of the attacks. [L]awmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives have called upon the Trump administration to take stronger action to support activists and prevent investment in abusive industries. They demand that US assistance to Honduras be withheld if a stricter inspection of their human rights record proves that the country is not complying with aid conditions...Recognising that abusive projects will cease to exist without investment, they call for the State Department to work with the Treasury to oppose financing by International Financial Institutions, such as the World Bank, in industries associated with human rights violations. [Refers to Desarrollos Energéticos (DESA)].
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UNICEF report: Protecting children, including from economic exploitation, when climate change forces them to flee
No Place To Call Home, shines a light for the first time on the impact on children’s rights when children are forced to flee from home because of climate change.Around the world, record numbers of children are on the move – 1 in 45 children have been uprooted from their homes, and are moving across borders or within their own countries in precarious circumstances. Climate-related events and their impacts are contributing significantly to these staggering numbers. Extreme weather, rising sea levels, drought and melting glaciers are just some of the changes that are already placing huge pressure on children and their communities.As in every crisis, children are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change that force them from their homes in the first place. [Report refers to vulnerability of children to trafficking, child labour, barriers to access to education.]
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Aumentando la protección mediante la inclusión de los defensores en los Planes Nacionales de Acción:
"Los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos pueden asegurar que las empresas respeten los derechos humanos, y los Planes Nacionales de Acción (PNA) pueden proporcionar una plataforma a través de la cuál las comunidades, los activístas y las ONG pueden ser protegidas e involucradas. Es fundamental que los Estados proporcionen protección a las personas defensoras de derechos humanos, garantizando que el contenido de sus PNA sobre empresas y derechos humanos incluyan medidas para prevenir los ataques contra las personas defensoras, asegurando que cuenten con apoyo, son consultadas y se encuentren libres de agresiones, hostigamiento, restricción, interferencias, y obstáculos para la justicia. Garantizar la protección efectiva de las personas defensoras a través de los PNA también requiere que sean involucradas y consultadas en el proceso de elaboración. Los Principios Rectores de la ONU sobre Empresas y Derechos Humanos establecen que los Estados deberían incluir “los grupos potencialmente afectados y a otras partes interesadas” en consultas sustantivas, con el fin de identificar el impacto de su trabajo sobre los derechos humanos. Como tal, el Estado tiene la obligación de consultar a las personas defensoras durante el proceso del PNA. Al incorporar los insumos proporcionados por las personas defensoras, tanto a la parte sustancial como la parte procesal de un PNA, los Estados deberán esforzarse en aplicar los más altos estándares de derecho internacional.
También deberán guiarse, no sólo por los Principios Rectores, sino también por la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre el derecho y el deber de los individuos, los grupos y las instituciones de promover y proteger los derechos humanos y las libertades fundamentales universalmente reconocidas (Declaración sobre defensores y defensoras de derechos humanos) y las convenciones relacionadas con el consentimiento libre, previo e informado. También existe un buen argumento comercial para el caso, al incluir a las personas defensoras en los PNA. Muchas de las características de un entorno seguro y propicio para las personas defensoras de derechos humanos están fuertemente relacionadas con un entorno operativo favorable para los negocios, en el que las empresas y las personas defensoras prosperan por igual en contextos caracterizados por la transparencia, el respeto al estado de derecho, la libertad de expresión y asociación, y la no-discriminación." (Personas defensoras de derechos humanos en los Planes Nacionales de Acción (PNA) sobre empresas y derechos humanos, ISHR & ICAR, 2016).
El PNA de Dinamarca menciona a los defensores de los derechos humanos en el contexto de las áreas de interés de los gobiernos anteriores
El PAN de Finlandia reconoce el importante papel que pueden desempeñar los defensores de los derechos humanos en las evaluaciones del impacto en los derechos humanos y en la provisión de recursos legales.
El PNA de Suiza dice que la interpretación y aplicación suiza de las UNGPs debe estar integrada con todos los compromisos anteriores de la Federación, incluyendo los Directrices suizas sobre la protección de los defensores de los derechos humanos
Para acceder a los Planes Nacionales de Acción y para más información sobre ellos, haga clic aquí [solo disponible en inglés].
Recurso clave: Personas defensoras de derechos humanos en los Planes Nacionales de Acción (PNA) sobre empresas y derechos humanos, ISHR & ICAR, 2016
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Jordan: Private sector workers lead rising numbers of protests for decent working conditions in 2016
"Labour protests rise by 22% in 2016 — report"
Labour protests increased by 22 per cent last year, a rise which reflects the gravity of Jordan's socioeconomic crisis, a new report by the Phenix Centre for Economic and Informatics Studies [suggests]...Jordan's labour market is still suffering from major gaps...sufficient and decent job opportunities, the provision of social protection for workers, allowing all workers the right to form and join trade unions, and protecting marginalised groups in the labour market, such as women, children and people with disabilities. Private sector workers organised the majority of labour protests in 2016...Ahmad Awad, Director of the Phenix Centre...said..."There are three main reasons why the protests in the public sector dropped last year; first, the government has restructured and raised employees' salaries; second, working conditions in the public sector improved with regards to overtime, holidays and social security; ...third...the government pressures its employees to prevent them from organising or participating in protests"...Meanwhile, the number of labour protests organised by the private sector increased last year due to receding decent working conditions, low salaries and weak social protection...Two main tools can help lift working conditions in the private sector, he argued. "The government should increase the efficiency and the number of Labour Ministry inspectors...[and] allow all workers to form and join trade unions, he said, noting that unions can assist the government in safeguarding workers' rights and improving working conditions...
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