Business & Human Rights

EU Lawmakers Call for Binding Mineral Regulations

April 15, 2015

Reuters reports that the European Parliament's trade committee is seeking to replace an EU conflict minerals proposal that would offer to certify businesses as "conflict-free" with a binding regulation requiring smelters and refiners to certify they do not import certain minerals from wartorn regions in Africa.
NGO Leader: Use Human Rights as Tool for "Tax Justice"

April 15, 2015

Clarifying the recognition by economic and social rights activists that business funding is essential to their goals, Niko Lusiani of the Center for Economic and Social Rights calls upon activists to pressure governments to consider such nontraditional human rights in making their policy decisions on corporate taxes.
Lawyers Renew Call for BHR Arbitration Tribunal

April 15, 2015

Attorneys Claes Cronstedt and Robert Thompson have issued the fifth version of a paper calling for the creation of an international arbitration tribunal on business and human rights ("BHR"), concluding that the international Permanent Court of Arbitration should establish the tribunal.
NGO Calls for BHR Prosecution by African Court of Justice

April 15, 2015

John Paul Ongeso of the African Legal Centre writes that in light of the limited impact so far of international business and human rights ("BHR") initiatives, the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights should take up the prosecution of BHR cases against corporations.
NYU Program Calls on IBA to Strengthen BHR Guidance

April 15, 2015

Michael Posner and Sarah Labowitz of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights ("BHR") have published a letter calling on the International Bar Association ("IBA") to amend its bar association BHR guidance to focus its approach on "substantive industry standards" rather than internal processes.