Business & Human Rights

Company Faces Penalties for Not Participating in NCP Process

April 29, 2015

The Canadian National Contact Point ("NCP") for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises has announced that mining company China Gold may no longer receive advocacy support from the Government after it failed to respond to requests for NCP mediation over human rights allegations against the company.
NGOs Allege Insufficient Conflict Minerals Reporting

April 29, 2015

The nongovernmental organizations Amnesty International and Global Witness have accused dozens of U.S. companies of shirking their duty under U.S. law to report on their efforts to avoid using conflict minerals in their operations by failing to sufficiently check their supply chains.
China, UN Report Pushes for "Green Finance" System

April 29, 2015

China's central bank, in coordination with the UN Environment Programme, has released a report calling for more steps toward "green finance," in which the Government would steer more financing toward "climate-friendly" projects.
NGOs Press for Broad EU Law on Conflict Minerals

April 29, 2015

A group of nongovernmental organizations ("NGOs"), criticizing the European Commission's proposal for voluntary conflict minerals reporting as insufficient, are calling for Members of the European Parliament to vote for mandatory corporate reporting on a broad range of minerals used in their operations.
European Countries Adopt Elements of BHR Agenda

April 29, 2015

The Lawyers for Better Business blog catalogs the European countries that are responding to the business and human rights ("BHR") agenda of the UN and global activists by adopting measures requiring company leaders to consider social and environmental impacts in their decision-making processes.