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	Lenders have international human rights obligations by Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky News agencies Beijing, China   July 06, 2015   UN Rights expert highlights international human rights obligations apply to Chinese financed projects.   A top U.N. official is expressing concern about whether China-backed development projects overseas will have adequate protections for human rights.   The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (UNHCHR) is investigating the link between project financing and safeguards for human rights at a time when China has successfully led the creation of two banks, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank of BRICS-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.   Investigations by the UNHCHR show Chinese companies and financing institutions have little concern about human rights violations surrounding projects promoted and financed by them across different countries, including some in Africa.   This concerns the United Nations because Chinese institutions and companies are funding more projects globally than the World Bank, the U.N.’s independent expert on finance and human rights said at a press conference in Beijing.   Chinese companies and institutions are also "difficult to approach or insensitive to respond to concerns raised," Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky said.   Chinese-financed development projects have contributed in several countries to serious violations of human rights, including forced evictions, arbitrary detention, and violations of the right to life, the U.N. agency said.   Development projects in several countries – including Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Kenya – often have faced local protests. The UNHCHR advised China to speak with protesters, not ignore them.   "Lack of an open and responsive dialogue … can frequently be a seed for larger trouble,” heightening social tensions and generating additional conflict, Bohoslavsky warned.   He said the multilateral development AIIB and BRICS banks, both headquartered in China, should avoid the mistakes committed by other development banks. UNHCHR recently criticized the human rights standards in World Bank-financed projects.   Several international and national institutions, such as export-import banks, often have been accused of ignoring the use of slave labor and underpaying wages in projects they’ve financed. Certain Dubai projects recently were accused of using bonded labor.   There are indications the newly formed AIIB has not yet worked out safeguards for protecting human rights, although 57 countries – including Germany, France, Australia and the United Kingdom – have joined as founding members.   "We have not seen any documents about human rights safeguards prepared by the AIIB," Gunnar Theissen, a UNHCHR human rights officer, told reporters.   The U.N. rights agency is also worried about how the two new multilateral banks will deal with borrowing countries that fail to repay loans. They must work out a debt repayment solution "without attaching egregious conditionalities," it said.   "International human rights standards and guidelines are in particular relevant when China provides funding for projects in countries with high risks, experiencing internal armed conflicts, weak governance structures or a lack of effective enforcement of national and international law by national authorities," Bohoslavsky said, adding there is much room for improvement.   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16203&LangID=E   UN debt expert says Greece can''t take more austerity.   Greece cannot take any more austerity as it will cause more social distress and lessen the chance of an economic recovery, a United Nations debt expert said on Monday.   Greeks overwhelmingly rejected conditions of a rescue package from creditors on Sunday, throwing the future of the country"s euro zone membership into doubt and deepening a standoff with lenders.   Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, the U.N. Independent Expert on Foreign Debt, told reporters in Beijing that Greece''s creditors in the European Union should have paid more attention to what international law says on the matter of debt.   "I have the impression that the EU had forgotten that international human rights law plays and should play a key role in finance. The international community attaches great importance to the interlinks between human rights and finance," said Bohoslavsky, who operates under the auspices of the U.N.''s High Commissioner for Human Rights.   "The message here is that if the parties involved in the Greek tragedy paid more serious attention to what human rights law has to say, everything would be easier, for the Greek population particularly," he added.   Bohoslavsky said the austerity demanded of Greece had not worked.   "It''s very clear the message from the Greek population - no more austerity measures. Actually if you look at the figures, austerity measures haven''t helped the country to recover."   Mr. Bohoslavsky said he was concerned at reports of food and medicine shortages, and that he was asking to meet EU officials to remind them of their human rights obligations to Greece. Visit the related web page
	Sustainable development goals requires the voices of smallholder farmers and workers be heard by Fairtrade International   July 2015   Fairtrade International took part in the United Nations meeting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), calling on decision-makers to make sure that Fair Trade principles, and the voices of smallholder farmers and workers are reflected in the SDG framework.   Fairtrade America’s executive director Hans Theyer delivered the remarks on behalf of the international Fairtrade system at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting on the SDGs on Thursday 9 July.   Fairtrade’s statement concludes: “We must listen to smallholder farmers and workers. Delivering the sustainable development goals requires the voices of smallholder farmers and workers to be heard at the highest levels of government and commerce.”   As Harriet Lamb, CEO of Fairtrade International, stated in her recent Huffington Post opinion piece, “We all know that there are no quick fix solutions. For sure, inclusive growth relies on involving farmers and workers, consumers and companies in finding solutions - and it needs Governments to step up their responsibilities too. The problems faced by farmers and workers in developing countries result from centuries of marginalization and exploitation.”   Statement submitted by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.   Fairtrade is a global movement for change working directly with businesses, producers, consumers and campaigners to make trade fair for farmers and workers. Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions and a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries. We represent 1.5 million Fairtrade farmers and workers. Over €5.5 billion per year is spent through Fairtrade, supporting sustainable livelihoods, human rights and environmental stewardship.   The draft sustainable development goals address vital areas where farmers and workers in international supply chains need action. But to deliver for the poorest, the framework must address these issues:   1. Inclusive trade which benefits the poor, not trade for its own sake (goal 17.14). Trade liberalization does not guarantee poverty reduction — and can undermine it. This is especially so when rich countries demand access to least developed countries’ markets while restricting access to their own. Indeed, some Fairtrade farmers have seen liberalization in the banana and sugar industries lead to widespread loss of jobs, with poor adjustment support for those least able to cope.   The sustainable development goals indicators must assess trade deals not by the gross domestic product forecasts alone, but by the medium to long-term impact on livelihoods for the poorest. Delivering the sustainable development goal commitment to trade policy coherence demands widespread institutional reform and accountability to ensure that trade agreements — bilateral, regional and multilateral — are fully aligned with poverty and sustainability goals.   2. Sustainability in supply chains must be paid for (goal 8). If we are to achieve poverty reduction and environmental sustainability through trade, then fair prices must be paid. Governments are willing to regulate markets in the short term interests of the consumer, but they fail to address global market dominance, despite the impact on sustainability and poverty reduction.   We need a global commitment from traders and retailers to pay living wages and meet the cost of sustainable production.   3. Market share of certified socially, economically and environmentally sustainable goods as an indicator (Goal 12.6). Under Goal 12.6, the United Nations Environment Program has recommended the percentage market share of certified sustainable goods as an indicator.   While supporting this, “certified sustainable” must mean more than environmentally sustainable. Certification in sustainability must consider poverty, environment and economic benchmarks and it must be independent and transparent.   Finally, we must listen to smallholder farmers and workers. Delivering the sustainable development goals requires the voices of smallholder farmers and workers to be heard at the highest levels of government and commerce. Visit the related web page
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