Business & Human Rights

NGO Files US Fishing Complaint at International Rights Body

August 02, 2017

AP reports that the nongovernmental organization Turtle Island Restoration Network has filed a complaint with the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Human Rights Commission alleging that Hawaii's longline fishing fleet commits violations of the business and human rights agenda against foreign workers.
Article: US Should Adopt "Environmental Rights"

August 02, 2017

Nicholas Stump of West Virginia University College of Law describes efforts by academics and activist organizations in Appalachia to persuade governments to import the idea, prevalent in international organizations, of "environmental human rights" - the rights to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and eat safe food - to protect Americans from abusive industry practices.
NGO Calls for Canadian "Due Diligence" Reporting

August 02, 2017

The Shareholder Association for Research and Education, a Canadian shareholder advocacy group, has called on the Canadian government to impose on companies mandatory reporting on their "due diligence" efforts toward combating violations of the business and human rights (BHR) agenda in their supply chains, similar to requirements in the UK, EU, and other jurisdictions.
Palm Oil Company Obtains "Sustainability" Certification

August 01, 2017

Demonstrating the growing success of nongovernmental groups in pushing businesses toward global "sustainability" and human rights standards, the Colombian palm oil company Daabon Group has touted its certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil as a company that shows "sustainability across the entire organisation."
NGO Calls for BHR Treaty to Regulate Trade Deals

August 01, 2017

A report from CIDSE, a network of Catholic social justice organizations, calls for any future UN treaty on business and human rights (BHR) to force countries negotiating trade and investment agreements to take into account global BHR principles, including requiring governments to perform a "human rights impact assessment" before concluding any trade deal.