View previous stories
	Natural Resources and Human Rights by Global Rights   Global Rights Reports from Colombia at UN Summit on Business-Related Human Rights Issues that was undertaken in October.   A few weeks ago in Colombia, the United Nations convened its first-ever regional gathering to address business-related human rights issues. More than 400 people participated in the event, including representatives from businesses, governments, grassroots and non-governmental organizations. Also in attendance was Lien De Brouckere, Global Rights’ Director of Natural Resources and Human Rights.   The forum was organized by the United Nations Working Group on Business & Human Rights, which is charged with implementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, a landmark set of global standards ratified by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011 that clarified the respective roles of governments and companies to help ensure that companies respect human rights while they operate.   This was the first-ever regional forum and was held in Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín. The results of the forum will feed into the second global forum that the Working Group is organizing in Geneva in December 2013.   After participating in the plenary sessions, Lien said that it was encouraging to hear representatives from companies and governments speak about “human rights” in relation to business activities, which marks progress in the attention companies now give to these issues.   “To have governments and companies use this language of ‘human rights,’ and to develop policies and speak on public panels to address these issues is definitely a positive development that would not have happened at this scale a few years ago,” she said.   At the same time, she was deeply concerned that the forum failed to capture the realities on the ground for individuals and communities, and that the panels painted a misleading picture that obscured the main goal of protecting human rights for vulnerable and marginalized groups.   None of the panel discussions addressed the fundamental challenges of protecting affected communities’ rights, which include significant asymmetries of power, information and resources between companies and communities. There was also little participation of affected communities (especially indigenous communities), grassroots organizations, or unions.   On the third day, however, community groups finally took center stage during a session that addressed the question “What is effective remedy?” During that session, participants from community organizations shared their many (many!) repeated attempts at seeking remedy for human rights abuses, and Lien heard familiar stories from across the continent of the grievances suffered by communities.   At the Tintaya mine in Peru, for example, communities faced land expropriation without compensation, harmful environmental impacts, dangerous company infrastructure, and a lack of benefit sharing by the company with the communities.   At the Marlin mine in Guatemala, communities were not properly consulted about the mine project and were largely opposed to the mine’s operation due to grave concerns about dangerous metals in the water that could harm the communities’ health and ecosystem.   At Chevron’s oil operations in Ecuador, toxic substances released into the water harmed community health and traditional life, and at Cerrejón’s operations in the village of Tabaco, Colombia, Afro-Colombian communities suffered violent expropriation from their lands.   Gatherings such as the one in Medellín a few weeks ago have the potential to bear witness to the impacts, harms, and abuses, challenges in the region, in addition to providing a space for participatory dialogue that critically examines issues facing communities and how business and government can prevent those harms.   Lien felt that realizing such potential—whether of bearing witness or engaging in meaningful dialogue—would require some changes, such as bringing more voices into the room, adjusting the format of the sessions, and encouraging companies to view affected.   Natural Resource and Human Rights   The world"s growing population and economies—and soaring demands for energy—are driving increased demand for natural resources, especially oil, gas and minerals. For many countries, the development of these and other natural resources is seen as the most promising path to a better future. Communities often have great expectations that the discovery of natural resources and arrival of foreign companies will bring jobs, economic development, and better access to health care, education and water. However, this expectation is too often replaced by an overwhelming sense of injustice. Communities ultimately have little or no say in the processes that determine if and how their rich lands will be exploited. They don"t see their lives improve but instead witness environmental degradation and sinking standards of living accompanied by dangerous work conditions, health issues and disease. Their lands are expropriated and violence, conflict and insecurity increase.   As a result, grave human rights abuses can proliferate in these resource-rich communities, who are often among their countries’ poorest, vulnerable and marginalized, and who are without the means or knowledge to assert and defend their rights. It is in support of these resource-rich communities that Global Rights partners with local civil society organizations to address economic and social rights violations, especially those involving women, who are disproportionately affected. We work with our partners to monitor and document violations, and design and implement legal and advocacy strategies to protect and empower communities. Our rights-based approach is pragmatic, as we support dialogue among communities, companies, and governments to find common ground that supports the realization of communities’ rights.   Global Rights’ Natural Resources and Human Rights program was launched in 2008 with field visits to five countries: Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia and Equatorial Guinea. Our findings enabled us to isolate social injustices that local civil society organizations wished to tackle or had begun to tackle with limited success. Subsequently, we partnered with local civil society organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Guinea and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) to monitor violations in natural resource exploitation and train them on the content of economic, social and cultural rights. By 2011 and with Global Rights support, our partners released reports on human rights abuses in their countries.   Currently, our natural resources and human rights projects operate from our country offices in Uganda and Nigeria, as well as out of our main office in Washington. In Uganda and Nigeria, Global Rights is working to increase the knowledge of civil society, host communities, industry leaders, and government officials about the human rights implications of the extractive industries that are, in part, fueling Africa’s current economic growth. These industries require security arrangements that run the risk of compromising human rights among populations living in the midst of this development. We are working to promote the incorporation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPs) as a fundamental element in government agendas and business strategies.   In Zamfara State, Nigeria, in 2011, Global Rights launched a project that seeks remedies for the tragic consequences of unregulated gold mining. More than 400 children and young adults have died from acute lead poisoning. We are developing a guide for solid mineral mining in Nigeria that will help communities understand roles and responsibilities with regard to artisanal gold mining. Global Rights has submitted a petition to the National Human Rights Commission on behalf of communities in Zamfara State to demand accountability from government for human rights violations arising from the lead poisoning disaster.   * Learning Module for African NGOs on Access to Remedy and Recourse Mechanisms for Business-Related Human Rights Abuses (September 2013): http://www.globalrights.org/site/DocServer/AccesstoRemedy_ENG.pdf See also: http://www.revenuewatch.org/   The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights — a quasi-judicial body charged with promoting and protecting human rights across Africa has passed a resolution that calls on national leaders to respect and defend the rights of LGBT persons.   The resolution “condemns the increasing incidence of violence...including murder, rape, assault, arbitrary imprisonment and other forms of persecution of persons on the basis of their imputed or real sexual orientation or gender identity.” It also calls on states to ensure an “enabling environment that is free of stigma, reprisals or criminal prosecution” for all human rights defenders, including those that defend the rights of LGBT persons.   The resolution can be seen as a rebuke to the Nigerian and Ugandan governments, which in the past few months have strengthened their existing draconian, anti-gay laws. In Uganda, same-sex conduct is now punishable by life in prison, and it is illegal for anyone—including human rights organizations—to advocate on behalf of LGBT people. The new law in Nigeria also criminalizes the support of LGBT individuals, and it prescribes up to 10 years in prison for a same-sex couple who displays affection in public.   The resolution, however, is not binding upon members of the African Union or signatories of the African Charter on Human and Peoples'' Rights—which both Uganda and Nigeria are. The hope is that the resolution will put political pressure on the 38 African countries with anti-gay laws to abolish them and fall in step with the Commission’s new endorsement.   Global Rights works with LGBT activists in Cameroon and Sierra Leone to provide legal aid to imprisoned LGBT persons. We also train local rights groups to document human rights abuses against members of the LGBT community.   http://globalrightsblog.blogspot.com.au/ Visit the related web page
	Poverty and inequality increase as austerity policies take hold by European Anti-Poverty Network & news agencies Europe   European Anti-Poverty Network Assessment Critical of Europe 2020: Poverty and Inequality at an All Time high.   The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) has released its new assessment of the 2013 National Reform Programmes (NRPs). The report not only shows widening social imbalances, but also gives recommendations on how to tackle them. The report is based on a questionnaire assessment from 19 EAPN National and EU Networks. It gives evidence that the EU is falling short on its promises on Social Europe, particularly on poverty, which has risen by 4 million in the last year, when the EU poverty reduction target is to reduce poverty by 20 million by 2020. It also outlines the worsening of the social impact of the crisis exacerbated by austerity measures, with unemployment, poverty and inequalities reaching untenably high levels. The conclusions and recommendations will be discussed at EAPN’s annual Conference on 30 September.   “We have a social crisis that EU leaders pretend to ignore. Poverty and inequality rates have increased when they should have gone down. We need change, not more of the same with real political leadership and coherent social and economic policies that give priority to human beings rather than this neo-liberal economic straightjacket that is widening the gap between us – the rich and the poor, the North and the South. The EU is likely to pay the price at the coming elections”, said Sergio Aires, President of EAPN.   “The continuing lack of commitment to democratic engagement or viable participation of grassroots stakeholders in the plans (NRPs) raises serious questions about the democratic accountability of the European Semester process”, he added.   2013 has seen a worsening of the social impact of the crisis by austerity measures, particularly reflected in rising unemployment and poverty levels, with unemployment reaching 23.7% and poverty nearly 120 million, according to available data. The Europe 2020 poverty target to reduce poverty by at least 20 million by 2020, appears to be in tatters, with poverty and exclusion increasing by nearly 4 million in the last year, and a shortfall of 8 million even on the national targets set by Member States (MS) to contribute to the EU target.   “EAPN members have tried to engage in constructive dialogue with national governments as part of this Europe 2020/Semester process – believing that they would be welcomed as equal partners, but this is just not happening. The process is in danger of being abandoned by stakeholders as an empty shell, which turns its back on the very people it is supposed to represent”, added Barbara Helfferich, Director of EAPN.   The key policy driver for the European Semester continues to be the European Commission’s Annual Growth Survey (AGS) which, in 2013, did not focus on the failure of the social targets but instead underlined the need for continuity rather than change, supporting the same key 5 priorities, including ‘growth-friendly fiscal consolidation’ and in the social field: tackling ‘unemployment and the social consequences of the Crisis’, with few new proposals. The loss of an explicit Annual Progress Report reviewing the Europe 2020 targets, is a major setback, undermining the visibility of the targets and the credibility of the Europe 2020 targets as a driver in the European Semester.   http://www.eapn.eu/en/news-and-publications/press-room/eapn-press-releases/eapn-assessment-critical-of-europe-2020-poverty-and-inequality-at-an-all-time-high   Mar 2013   Archbishop of Canterbury attacks Government welfare cuts. (The Telegraph)   In his most significant political intervention since taking office, the Rev Justin Welby has warned that “children and families will pay the price” if plans to change the benefits system go ahead in their current form.   Mr Welby and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, have backed a letter to The Sunday Telegraph written by 43 bishops who say the benefits cuts will have a “deeply disproportionate” effect on children.   The move is considered a rebuke to Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, who is working to steer the reforms through Parliament.   The Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill, aims to cap benefit rises at 1 per cent a year until 2016.   However, Mr Welby, said the legislation will remove the protection given to families against the rising cost of living and may push at least 200,000 more children into poverty. He said: “As a civilised society, we have a duty to support those among us who are vulnerable and in need. When times are hard, that duty should be felt more than ever, not disappear or diminish.   “It is essential that we have a welfare system that responds to need and recognises the rising costs of food, fuel and housing.   “The current benefits system does that, by ensuring that the support struggling families receive rises with inflation.   “These changes will mean it is children and families who will pay the price for high inflation, rather than the Government.”   Mr Welby added: “Politicians have a clear choice. By protecting children from the effects of this Bill, they can help fulfil their commitment to end child poverty.”   The “umbrella” legislation, which is currently passing through the House of Lords, applies to a wide range of benefits and tax credits, including income support, child benefit, working tax credits and child tax credits.   Dr Sentamu said: “I hope that the Government will listen to the concerns being raised on the impact the changes to the Welfare Benefit Up-rating Bill could have on the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, our children.   “In difficult times it is right as a nation, committed to justice and fairness, that we protect those that are most in need.   “Even in tough economic times we have a duty and responsibility to care for those who are struggling."   The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, said: “The bishops feel we have to be involved as it is no longer true to say these people are costing us money because they are feckless or lazy. We are talking about people who are working hard to support their families."   Bishop Stevens, added: “We are facing families who will have to choose from April 1 between buying food for their children and paying their rent, or between feeding their children and turning the fire on.” Visit the related web page
	View more stories