|
Corporate Social Responsibility
News
1.27.2005 ET
|
CSR News from:
|
|
|
News Category:
|
|
New Website Spotlights Human Rights Impact Of 2000 Companies: Launched Today In Davos By Mary Robinson
(CSRwire) DAVOS - Today the world's first website covering the human rights
conduct of 2000 companies was officially launched in Davos, during the
World Economic Forum.
Mary Robinson, launching the non-profit Business & Human Rights
Resource Centre, said: "No debate can move forward, and no positive
change can be made, without facts. This website is an essential tool for
consumers and investors, companies and campaigners. It helps them make
decisions that make a difference." Robinson chairs the Resource
Centre's Advisory Network; she is former United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights & President of Ireland.
For the first time anybody, anywhere, can go to one place for news and
reports on the worldwide social and environmental activities of most major
multinationals: www.business-humanrights.org.
The website brings abuses to international attention: from
discrimination to pesticide poisoning; child labour to drinking water
contamination; sexual abuse to the displacement of indigenous peoples.
It also highlights positive steps certain companies are taking,
such as promoting diversity, increasing access to HIV/AIDS drugs, reducing
harmful emissions, improving working conditions in their supply chain.
Recent issues covered include:
Iraq: Allegations that security firms were involved in torture
at Abu Ghraib prison
Tsunami relief by companies (special section accessible from
homepage)
Beijing Olympics 2008: Calls for corporate sponsors to raise
labour abuse concerns with Chinese Government.
The site is free and updated hourly. Already it gets 1.5 million
hits a month. It links to reports in English, Spanish and French. And
it's easy to find: type "business human rights" into Google and it comes
up first.
Speaking at the Davos launch event were:
Mary Robinson, Director, Ethical Globalization Initiative; former
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland
Dan Henkle, Vice President, Global Compliance, Gap Inc. (member
company, Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights)
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch
Björn Edlund, Senior Vice President, ABB (member company, Business
Leaders Initiative on Human Rights)
Salil Tripathi, Researcher - Economics & Human Rights, Amnesty
International
Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish, Founder & Chairman, SEKEM Group (Egypt) (Dr.
Abouleish has been named Outstanding Social Entrepreneur)
Ulf Karlberg, Founding Chair, Amnesty International Sweden Business
Group; former Executive Vice President, AstraZeneca; Co-Chair Business &
Human Rights Resource Centre
Christopher Avery, Director, Business & Human Rights Resource
Centre
Special features live from today on www.business-humanrights.org:
Weekly Updates - including company responses These free alerts
- highlighting top stories of the week - will be sent to thousands of
decision-makers worldwide. A unique feature: companies will be invited to
reply to items that criticise their conduct. This ensures balance, and
encourages companies to publicly address concerns raised by civil society.
Anyone can sign up via our homepage.
Now 2000 individual company sections
New section on "Business & the UN Millennium Development
Goals"
The website was engineered by Jamkit ( www.jamkit.com), specialists in web
solutions for the non-profit sector. Speaking from London, Jamkit's Seb
Bacon said: "We are delighted that our Webfactory software, and our focus
on accessible design and usability, have helped the Resource Centre raise
international awareness about important human rights issues." Technology
journalists wishing to interview Jamkit should contact Seb Bacon or Miles
Waller: seb@jamkit.com; miles@jamkit.com; +44 20 7549 0520.
Notes for editors:
First, what others have to say:
Rough Guide to Ethical Shopping 2004: "A truly amazing resource,
this website...is an index of practically everything on the Web that
relates to the effect of companies upon human rights (including
environmental damage)...a fantastic free service."
Sir Geoffrey Chandler, Founding Chair, Amnesty International UK
Business Group, former senior manager at Royal Dutch/Shell: "The
Resource Centre...is indispensable for anyone involved in business and
human rights, whatever their standpoint."
David Rice, BP Group Policy Advisor: "Your site is a terrific
help. We'll circulate it to our internal network of staff dealing with
human rights issues."
Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki, Executive Director, African Women's Development
& Communications Network (FEMNET): "This website helps those
interested in monitoring differences between what transnational companies
have committed to and their actual practices."
Alya Z. Kayal, Senior Social Research Analyst, Calvert Group:
"As the human rights research analyst for Calvert Group, a mutual fund
company involved in socially responsible investing, I find the Business &
Human Rights Resource Centre to be an essential tool."
Ian Spaulding, Director, Overseas Compliance, Sears: "As someone
responsible for vendor compliance at Sears, I am very happy to have such a
resource. I use it at least once each week."
Asma Khader, human rights lawyer & women's rights advocate, now
Jordan's Minister of State: "Your efforts...are fundamental in
order to achieve progress in the human rights field."
Key points about the Resource Centre
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is an independent, non-profit,
international organisation, in partnership with Amnesty International
sections and leading academic institutions.
Purpose: To encourage companies to respect human rights, avoid
harm to people, maximise their positive contribution.
Sources: The website links to news and reports by
non-governmental organisations, community groups, companies, journalists,
corporate responsibility organisations, governments, the United
Nations.
Funding: The Resource Centre is funded by independent
foundations & trusts, and individuals. To avoid any perception of
conflict of interest, it does not accept donations from companies,
corporate foundations, or serving senior executives at major corporations.
International Network: The Resource Centre's International
Advisory Network (80 experts) and Academic Partners (20 internationally
respected institutions) are listed on the website.
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a registered charity in
England & Wales (1096664) and a tax-exempt non-profit in USA.
|
|
