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Historic Progress Towards Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights

July 26, 2015

Notes from Cam Walker

 

GENEVA, July 10 — The first session of UN negotiations on legally binding rules for transnational corporations (TNCs)[1] concluded today, with hopes high for the process towards a treaty that could finally bring justice and protection to millions.

Talks convened in Geneva on July 6th to begin elaborating a treaty on business and human rights. Civil society organizations from all over the world took part, demonstrating coordinated work, a wealth of proposals and thorough analyses of the urgent need for an international legally binding instrument to prevent TNCs’ human rights abuses and provide justice and remedy for affected people.

Preparatory work of civil society at national and international level was strong. Movements from Indonesia and Brazil, for example, combined proposals for the treaty built on the voices of affected peoples, on concrete cases of human rights violations by TNCs and on advocacy work to push national governments to engage in a proactive way.

TNCs are often responsible for human rights violations. These crimes frequently go unpunished due to glaring gaps in the international legal system, the absence or weakness of enforceable national policies, or judicial corruption in TNC host and/ or home countries. Many corporations are also richer and more powerful than the states seeking to regulate them. Corporate campaign financing for political candidates also creates a layer of impunity for TNCs.

“UN member States and expert panelists made great progress tackling this difficult but vital work. We also applaud the formidable mobilization of civil society organizations, whose presence really spurred the talks forward,” said Lucia Ortiz, Economic Justice International Program Coordinator, Friends of the Earth International.

The EU and several other, mostly rich, countries were largely absent from the talks, allegedly claiming that negotiation of a legally binding treaty would distract from the implementation of the existing UN Guiding Principles — a set of voluntary guidelines for businesses.… Read more >>

Articles, FoE, Old_Notes

Pledge not to use Reflex paper made from Australian native forests

July 2, 2015

Friends of the Earth Adelaide have joined the 2,037 organisations who have pledged not to buy Reflex paper until they stop destroying native forests to make it.

Our comment: The decimation of Australian native forests has to stop. Our climate and native animals deserve more. Shame on you Reflex, source your wood from plantations.

Sign the pledge here.

Source ethical paper from this list.

Oxford University has found one of the most effective way to combat climate change is to plant more trees – companies like Reflex need to be planting plantation wood for their future products.

leadbeaters possum.

Actions, Clean Futures, Divestment, FoE

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FoE at Students of Sustainability next week

July 1, 2015

Fair Food Adelaide’s Kim Hill is delivering two workshops at next week’s Students of Sustainability conference at Flinders University – “The End of Agriculture” on Thursday 10th and “Edible Weed Walk” on Satuday 11th. Clean Future Collective’s Dr Philip Smith is delivering a nuke free workshop on Friday with FoE Australia’s Dr Jim Green.

Come and say hi at our FOE stall on Saturday – incorporating Fair Food Adelaide, March Against Monsanto and the Clean Futures Collective with a focus on the nuclear royal commission.

Details here.

students of sustainability pic

Clean Futures, Climate, FoE, Food, Mining, Nuclear, Old_Notes, Renewables, Shop, Stalls, Sustainability, Weapons proliferation

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Raising CANE: the Campaign Against Nuclear Expansion

June 25, 2015

The SA Government has launched a Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the hope of garnering support for an expansion of the nuclear industry. The terms of reference and the makeup of the commission and its experts are clearly biassed towards expanding the industry.

We believe this is an attempt to soften up the public for the creation of a nuclear waste dump for high-level waste from overseas.

FoE Adelaide are proud to announce the launch of the Campaign Against Nuclear Expansion

We believe that renewable energy is the best alternative to fossil fuels and SA is not the place for a nuclear waste dump, an enrichment facility or expansion of uranium mining.

How you can help

If you’ve got time, or skills to help in the campaign, contact FoE Adelaide or meet fellow campaigners upstairs at Kappy’s Tea & Coffee Merchants at 1/22 Compton Street, Adelaide, between 4 and 6pm Mondays.

Keep up to date on events by joining the FoE anti-nuke google newsgroup (email robyn.wood@foe.org.au and ask to subscribe), or subscribe to the fortnightly email from FoE Adelaide (form on website adelaide.foe.org.au, bottom left).

Join Friends of the Earth Adelaide

If you’ve got a busy job and can afford it, please contribute to the CANE fund, either with a one-off donation, or a regular contribution (eg $10, $20 or $50) for several weeks or months.  Here’s an online donation form

FoE Adelaide Plans

Friends of the Earth Adelaide have hired a part-time campaigner to respond to the Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, highlighting how we wish to keep our state nuclear-free. They’ll also note opportunities to interact with the Royal Commission and campaign for renewables.

  • We’ve already allocated $5000 towards the campaign, but we hope to raise more funds to extend the campaign into the public arena.
… Read more >>

Climate, FoE, Nuclear