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A fair approach to human rights |
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Written by Alison Maitland
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Sunday, 06 July 2008 |
On a grey March morning three years ago Greg Regaignon, a human rights researcher, headed into New York City for breakfast at Tiffany?s. Michael Kowalski, chief executive of the world-famous jeweller, had invited him in to discuss its revised position on acquiring gems from Burma.
Their meeting followed a report in Professional Jeweler, a trade publication, that Tiffany planned to resume sourcing gems from Burma in line with a US Customs ruling that they were exempt from a ban on Burmese imports if cut and polished elsewhere. Mr Regaignon, New-York-based head of research at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, had spotted the article and sought confirmation from Tiffany.
The centre, a non-profit organisation that raises awareness of companies? human rights impacts around the world, posted both the article and Tiffany?s response on its website and included both in its weekly newsletter. Thus alerted, the US Campaign for Burma raised concerns with Tiffany, Mr Regaignon says. Two days later Tiffany said it would not buy gems from Burma after all, a decision that drew plaudits from activists.
On the discussion with Mr Kowalski, Mr Regaignon says: ?We met in his office for an hour and it was plain he is extremely engaged in these issues. He was very concerned, probably not surprisingly given Tiffany?s brand equity, and it seemed to me he was personally committed to operating in a responsible way.? He says many big jewellers have followed Tiffany?s lead.
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Beyond the "genocide Olympics" |
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Written by Economist.com
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Monday, 19 May 2008 |
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 Why many firms are taking a bigger role in promoting human rights
BY THE standards of any previous boss of Coca-Cola, Neville Isdell is remarkably enlightened. Under his leadership, the soft-drinks giant has adopted a strategy of extending access to water supplies in the developing world, especially in Africa, where Mr Isdell spent 26 years. It is an active member of several organisations committed to promoting human rights, including the United Nations Global Compact. Even so, Mr Isdell now finds himself accused by human-rights activists of "complicity" with one of the world's most prominent human-rights abusers--the government of China.
No doubt sponsoring this summer's Beijing Olympics once seemed like a good idea to Coca-Cola and a gaggle of other big companies such as General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, McDonald's and Samsung. The marketing benefits of the Olympics are believed to be huge, which is why Coca-Cola has been doing it continuously for 80 years.
No doubt sponsoring this summer's Beijing Olympics once seemed like a good idea to Coca-Cola and a gaggle of other big companies such as General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, McDonald's and Samsung. The marketing benefits of the Olympics are believed to be huge, which is why Coca-Cola has been doing it continuously for 80 years.
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Essay: Business and human rights ? A personal account from the front line |
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Written by Sir Geoffrey Chandler
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Friday, 25 April 2008 |
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 Sir Geoffrey Chandler charts the rise of the business and human rights movement over the past two decades
The privatisation of the world economy which followed the ending of the Cold War made the corporate sector a more important international influence on human rights for good or ill than any other constituency. Its spreading supply chains touched directly the lives of millions. Its operations affected the social and physical environment wherever it worked. Directly or indirectly it influenced the political scene. Unlike the environmental movement, which had long recognised the importance of companies and engaged in dialogue with them, the human rights movement was very slow to react. Indeed companies and human rights NGOs viewed each other with mutual ignorance, prejudice, suspicion and hostility.
If we were to respond to the challenge of this new world, somehow someone had to cross this divide, finding a common language with which to engage in dialogue and create a mutual understanding.
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IMF alert on starvation and civil unrest |
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Written by Alex Spillius
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Tuesday, 15 April 2008 |
The poorest countries face starvation and civil unrest if global food prices keep rising, says the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Hundreds of thousands of people would starve, he said in Washington. "Children will be suffering from malnutrition, with consequences for all their lives."
He predicted that rising food prices would push up the cost of imports for poor countries, leading to trade imbalances that might also affect developed nations.
"It is not only a humanitarian question," he said.
Global food prices have risen sharply in recent months, driven by rising demand, poor weather and an increase in the area of land used to grow crops for biofuels.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation says 37 countries face food crises. The president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, urged members on Sunday to provide $US500 million ($540 million) by May 1 to help alleviate the problem.
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Written by Hilary Hove
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 |
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(Johannesburg) Businesses play an influential role in society, one that extends far beyond their economic impact. From its employees to its consumer base, business activities have both tangible and intangible impacts upon individuals ? including their rights.
Why should businesses care about human rights? A consensus on this issue is hard to come by, as diverging opinions persist within both the public and private spheres. While the discussion continues, it is becoming increasingly apparent that human rights are relevant to business.
To date, a major catalyst of corporate attention to human rights has been reputation. The advance of globalization, the rising economic presence of corporations, and the spread of communications technologies have culminated in greater awareness of ? and concern for ? the impacts of business activity. With this shift has also come a change in expectations of business conduct.
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Business, Development & Poverty Conference |
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Written by Matthew Clarke
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
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Nedbank Sandton Auditorium
135 Rivonia Road
Sandton
The South African Human Rights Commission, in partnership with the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, cordially invites you to a multi-stakeholder National Human Rights and Business Conference, entitled: Business, Development and Poverty. The conference will be held on March 18-19, 2008 at the Nedbank Sandton Auditorium in Sandton.
The Conference which will coincide with Human Rights Month - will feature dynamic speakers on a range of issues related to human rights and business and aims to engage business as community stake-holders on human rights issues of national importance.
To register, please contact Yoliswa Mawela
Tel: (011) 643 6604
Fax: (011) 643 6918
E-mail:
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For further information on the conference, please contact
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Interactive Business & Human Rights Scenarios |
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Written by Matthew Clarke
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Thursday, 06 March 2008 |
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AfricaGrowth.net has created dynamic and interactive case scenarios that it wants EVERYONE to participate in.
Click READ MORE to read a scenario and then link through to our discussion page to post your response. You must be registered on AfricaGrowth (free) to participate! Click here to register!
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Are human rights the concern of business? |
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Written by Andre van Niekerk
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Friday, 25 January 2008 |
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 DOES business have human rights obligations, and if so, what are they? At a conference convened in Johannesburg this week by the Foundation for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and United Nations (UN) Human Rights Commissioner, reviewed the debate on this issue. During the course of this month, John Ruggie, the Harvard professor appointed by the UN secretary-general to identify standards of corporate responsibility and clarify the accountability of business with regard to human rights, is likely to table a further report on his activities and possibly a few tentative conclusions. Ruggie?s appointment, in July 2005, was a response to a stalemate between the UN Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and the international business community.
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Kilwa appeal should take place in Kinshasa to reduce the risk of political interference |
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Written by Max
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Friday, 14 December 2007 |
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London, UK / Lubumbashi, DRC (5 December 2007): The Congolese military court of appeal should take urgent measures to ensure that the Kilwa appeal, due to begin tomorrow, does not simply compound earlier miscarriages of justice, said a group of international and Congolese non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
ASADHO, ACIDH, Global Witness and RAID are calling for the appeal to be heard in the capital, Kinshasa and for a full independent forensic examination of the bodies of the victims of the Kilwa massacre to be carried out with international assistance. |
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