New Publications
Up one levelSeries for Responsible Investor (RI) Engagement: NGO Priorities for Mobile Network Operators
Case study on the Peruvian mango supply chain
This briefing, highlighting labour rights violations at mango plantations in Peru, illustrates that companies do not automatically behave responsibly throughout its supply chain, nor impose upon themselves a duty of care. The case study among others identifies that workers at the beginning of the Peruvian mango supply chain work long days for poverty wages and under substandard circumstances. In effect the case study shows that Europe is currently failing to ensure that responsible standards are being met by its multinationals.
Food Markets in Dutch
The effect on prices of increased financial investments in commodity derivatives markets especially those for staple foods has been the subject of fierce debate since 2008. In order to make an informed dialogue possible between Dutch financial institutions and civil society organisations this report aims to provide a better understanding of the activities of large Dutch financial institutions in the (agricultural) commodity derivatives markets.
Unheard Voices
Unheard Voices reveals how local communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are barely consulted by copper and cobalt mining companies that are taking their land or digging next to their houses. These minerals are being mined in part to satisfy the global demand for the latest high tech mobile phones and computers produced by the electronics industry.
Feeding the Financial Hype
This report provides an overview of the on-going discussion on the impact of the financial investments in commodity derivatives markets. These investments have dramatically increased over the past decade, a period of sharp and sudden price swings in both futures and physical markets for commodities, including food commodities. Rising food prices are hurting the poorest people who spend up to 80% of their income on food.
OECD Watch Quarterly Case Update November 2011
The highlights of this Quarterly Case Update include developments in OECD Guidelines cases filed against among others Xstrata Copper regarding impacts on periglacial environments in Argentina, Barrick Gold regarding human rights abuses at its Porgera JV Mine in Papua New Guinea, Royal Dutch Shell regarding its disclosure of oil spills in Nigeria, Arcelor Mittal for mismanagement of the community fund in Liberia and Intex resources regarding its nickel mining practices in the Philippines.
What a Waste
The research for this report has been conducted by researchers from DanWatch on a field trip to Greater Accra Region, Western Region and Ashanti Region in November 2009, where Mike Anane from the League of Environmental Journalists, based in Accra, Ghana, also contributed with research.In July 2010 researchers from DanWatch visited Ghana to carry out the final research on the health consequences and to document new cases of European e-wast exported to Ghana. In addition, desk studies have been carried out by DanWatch.
Out of Focus
MakeITfairs report “Out of focus” on digital camera companies in Vietnam reveals that the major issue faced by workers is the lack of freedom of association and collective bargaining power. Although the Vietnamese labour law only permits one legal trade union, without taking proactive steps, the electronics companies in Vietnam risk wildcat strikes.
Burning Rubber
Several Liberian farmers and charcoal producers experience harmful effects of the operations of Buchanan Renewables, a company that produces biomass of which Swedish electricity giant Vattenfall is part owner. This report describes how the company, which presents itself as a highly sustainable venture, has a negative impact on the livelihoods of a number of smallholder farmers, has not taken adequate measures to improve the energy situation in Liberia, and has a corporate structure which can be optimally used to avoid paying taxes in Liberia.
The Missing Dimension
This report critically analyses a selection of major reforms of the financial sector as agreed or still being discussed at the level of the European Union (EU). The specific aim of this report is to identify where developing country interests as well as social and environmental sustainability are at stake, what concerns need to be raised and what concrete remedies could prevent (potential) negative consequences. The conclusions of this report point out that the interests of developing countries and the perspective of social and environmental sustainability are currently a missing dimension in the EUs financial reforms.
Certified Unilever Tea
In response to growing concerns voiced by civil society organisations regarding the precarious working conditions of the millions of tea workers worldwide, multinational tea packers, such as Unilever, who dominates this sector, are increasingly relying on sustainability standard systems, such as Rainforest Alliance, Utz Certified and Fairtrade, which are generally seen as best industry practice. This study wanted to find out whether working conditions on large tea estates that have achieved RA certification and supply Unilever are truly decent. To this end one hundred tea workers were interviewed on a total of eight tea plantation companies, all supplying tea to Unilever. Seven of these plantations are located in India and the remaining plantation concerns Unilevers own tea plantation in Kenya.
Dutch Bilateral Investment Treaties
This SOMO report highlights the until now unexplored role which Dutch investment protection policy plays in establishment decisions of MNC. The report argues that current Dutch investment policies are used for treaty shopping, allowing for investorstate dispute settlement based on broad-based BIT definitions that pose a danger to policy space and the safeguarding of public goods and interests. This is not only highly problematic from a sustainable development perspective for southern but increasingly for northern states.
Phony Equality
This report focuses on labour rights in the mobile phone industry in India and addresses working conditions in export processing zones (known as Special Economic Zones in India). Th e aim of this research is to get an understanding of unionisation and precarious employment in four mobile phone factories, namely Nokia, Salcomp, Flextronics and Foxconn, based in Sriperumbudur around Chennai, Tamil Nadu. One of the recent developments in the industry has been the unionisation of Nokia in India.
Protection of clinical trial subjects in countries outside the EU
As medicines intended for the European market are increasingly tested on clinical trial participants outside the EU in low and middle income countries, European institutions have a moral and legal responsibility to protect their rights. Many cases of violations of ethical principles and guidelines have been reported. Therefore, in this briefing paper, Wemos and SOMO call upon the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency to take measures at the following three levels: 1) Vigorously pursue the integration of ethical principles into EMA procedures, 2) Increase transparency in clinical trials outside the EU and 3) Strengthen capacity in low and middle income countries.
