Appel à contributions: Exposition virtuelle

Transcription

1 Appel à contributions: Exposition virtuelle ADans le cadre de notre campagne «Des droits pour les peuples, des règlements pour les entreprises» ( Rights for people, rules for business ), nous sommes à la recherche d artistes ou d étudiants en art dans les champs du visuel, du spectacle ou des médias et prêts à contribuer à notre exposition sur la responsabilité mondiale des entreprises. Le travail des participants doit refléter un engagement en faveur d idées progressives ainsi qu une approcha critique des pratiques et structures sociales. L exposition aura lieu entre mai 2010 et mai Les œuvres exposées doivent être liées à des cas concrets de pratiques d entreprises ayant des impacts négatifs sur la société et/ou sur l environnement. L exposition vise à rassembler le travail d artistes à renommée internationale avec celui de jeunes talents. L exposition sera présentée de manière virtuelle, sous la forme d une galerie en ligne ainsi que d une projection vidéo installée dans différentes foires artistiques internationales (notamment celles de Vienne, d Avignon et d Edimbourg). 1. Critères 2. Etudes de cas Aperçu 3. Candidatures 4. Contact 5. Contexte 6. Informations complémentaires sur la campagne 7. Termes et conditions 8. Etudes de cas Dossiers Un projet: Seite 1

2 Il n est pas rare que les activités des entreprises européennes aient des conséquences sur la vie des habitants à travers le monde entier. Si elles peuvent être perçues comme positives, à travers la création d emplois par exemple, elles peuvent aussi causer des dommages considérables, à la fois pour les populations et pour l environnement. Les fournisseurs et les filiales des entreprises européennes adoptent des comportements irresponsables ou inacceptables en particulier dans l hémisphère sud, du travail des enfants à la destruction des forêts tropicales. Dans l état actuel de la législation internationale, les compagnies mères impliquées dans des violations des droits humains et dans des crimes environnementaux, à travers les actions de leurs fournisseurs ou de leurs chaînes de distribution, ne peuvent être tenues responsables. Notre campagne a pour but de sensibiliser l opinion européenne et de mobiliser la pression publique en faveur d la création d un cadre légal européen qui rende les multinationales légalement responsables pour leurs actions à travers le monde. 1. Critères Nous sommes ouverts aux travaux de tous les types artistiques, à condition qu ils puissent être documentés et présentés de manière digitale (vous enverrez les détails exacts sur les dossiers et leurs formats à réception de votre candidature). Nous espérons recevoir des contributions d un large spectre artistique, notamment du dessin, de la peinture, de la photographie, du cinéma, de la sculpture, de la performance (doit être documentée par vidéo), des installations, de l art digital et plus encore. L inscription est ouverte à toutes les personnes dont le travail remplit les critères décrits ci-dessus. L exposition et l intégralité de la campagne Rights for people, rules for business sont strictement limitées à un usage caritatif et en aucun cas pour dégager des profits. Tous les travaux doivent être reliés d une manière ou d une autre à de vrais cas de dommages environnementaux ou de violations des Droits humains de la part de compagnies européennes. 2. Etudes de cas aperçu Nous avons compilé un dossier regroupant plusieurs exemples de dommages sociaux et environnementaux de la part de compagnies européennes. Ce dossier se trouve chapitre 8, sous le nom Etudes de cas Dossiers. No. A (Page 5) Pays: Ethiopie Description: Un barrage met en danger les écosystèmes et les moyens de subsistance de habitants Entreprise: Salini (Italie) No. B (Page 6) Pays: Soudan Description: Manque de consultation des résidents à propos d un projet d énergie hydraulique Entreprise: Alstom (France), Lahmeyer (Allemagne) No. C (Page 7) Pays: Kenya Description: Violation des droits d ouvriers de plantations de thé Entreprise: Unilever (Grande-Bretagne, Pays-Bas) No. D (Page 8) Pays: Côte d Ivoire Description: déchets toxiques déversés illégalement: 16 morts, blessés Entreprise: Trafigura (Pays-Bas, Suisse) No. E (Page 9) Pays: Libéria Description: L entreprise de bois,dlh, accusée de financer la guerre au Libéria Entreprise: DLH France and DLH-Norvège No. F (Page 10) Pays: République du Congo Description: Une exploitation de sables pétrolifères met en danger les plus grandes forêts tropicales Entreprise: ENI (Italie) No. G (Page 11) Pays: Afrique du Sud Description: Un producteur d acier en déni de son héritage (envers ses anciens employés et l environnement) Entreprise: Arcelor Mittal (Luxembourg, Pays-Bas) No. H (Page 12) Pays: Chine Description: Violation des droits du travail et des droits des femmes Entreprise: Aldi (Allemagne) No. I (Page 13) Pays: Inde Description: Déversement illégal de mercure par une usine de thermomètres Entreprise: Unilever (Grande Bretagne, Pays-Bas) Seite 2

3 No. J (Page 14) Country: Inde Description: Conditions d emploi et contrats d après le régime Sumangali, unités de production de Carrefour et C&A Entreprise: Distributeurs de vêtements : Carrefour (France), C&A (Belgique, Allemagne) No. K (Page 15) Pays: Bangladesh Description: Des paysans démantèlent des tankers, un container, et des navires passagers en risquant leurs vies (Chittagong). Entreprises : Armateurs, companies maritimes No. L (Page 16) Pays: Bangladesh Description: Salaires de misère, heures supplémentaires forcées, et répression des fournisseurs Entreprises: Walmart (Asda, Grande Bretagne, Walmart, Etats-Unis), Tesco (Grande Bretagne), Carrefour (France), Aldi (Allemagne), and Lidl (Allemagne) No. M (Page 17) Pays: Bangladesh Description: 21 employés tués par un incendie dans une usine de tricot Entreprise: H&M (Suède) No. N (Page 18) Country: Colombia Description: Electric grid company puts poor customers at deadly peril and violates workers rights to increase profits Cooperation: Union Fenosa (Spain) No. O (Page 19) Pays: Equateur Description: Factures falisfiées, scandales de corruption, extorsion, destructions environnementales and sérieuses violations des Droits humains Entreprise: Skanska (Suède) No. P (Page 20) Pays: Brésil Description: Prévisions des risques liées aux activités d une aciérie pour la subsistance de quelques pêcheurs et leurs familles Entreprise: Thyssen-Krupp (Allemagne) Dans ce dossier, nous apprécierions que les artistes vivant dans ou originaires d une des zones affectées (ou des environs) se focalisent sur ces exemples. Autrement, les artistes peuvent choisir n importe laquelle des études de cas listées. 3. Candidatures: Merci de soumettre les documents suivants: Un court CV (incluant une biographie simple, un historique de vos réalisations artistiques ainsi que de vos expositions à ce jour) Des exemples de vos travaux (sous format PDF, JPEG or de liens web) Un bref exposé de votre idée La référence au cas concret sur lequel votre idée est basée Date limite de candidature : Merci d envoyer votre candidature par à nina.dausch@solitairedesign.net Date limite de remise des travaux: Contact Les travaux seront examinés par : SolitaireDesign Holzmarktstr Stadtbahnbogen Berlin Germany Contact: Nina Dausch nina.dausch@solitairedesign.net Facebook: SO-OWE Exhibition Skype: SO-OWE Exhibition Téléphone: +49 (0)30/ Fax: +49 (0)30/ Pour tout autre question ou besoin d informations, n hésitez pas à nous contacter par téléphone, par , via Facebook ou Skype. Seite 3

4 5. Contexte Cette exposition est au cœur de la campagne Rights for people, rules for business. Les exemples de comportements irresponsables des entreprises qui ont pour conséquences la violation des droits humains ou des crimes environnementaux révèlent un problème politique et donnent un cadre pour une interprétation artistique. Les artistes sont invités à choisir une des études de cas fournies comme thème central de leur travail. D autres cas de mauvais comportement peuvent également être choisis à condition qu ils traitent de violations des droits humains ou de crimes environnementaux dans lesquels des compagnies européennes sont clairement impliquées. Cependant ceux-ci doivent être bien documentés par des médias ou organisations de la société civile réputés. Le travail artistique ne doit cependant pas être une illustration littérale du cas en question. Le but de l exposition est de fournir une vitrine à des perspective nouvelles, individuelles et invitant à la réflexion sur le sujet. Tous les travaux exposés seront accompagnés d une brève introduction sur les artistes et leur travail, ainsi que de quelques informations contextuelles sur l étude de cas qu ils ont choisie. Notre exposition virtuelle sera accessible via le site de la campagne. Notre outil de navigation, «flux de conscience», inclut des éléments visuels et acoustiques qui guident les visiteurs à travers l espace de la galerie, lui présentant les travaux et les études de cas. Des projections promotionnelles sur le web ainsi que des packs d information publicitaire sur l exposition et la campagne seront installés dans divers évènements artistiques à travers l Europe, supportés par des initiatives sociales et médiatiques internationales. Cette exposition doit être vue par environ un million de personnes Des détails sur la campagne et sur l exposition seront postés en ligne le 12 mai Informations complémentaires sur la campagne Les demandes de la campagne Les compagnies mères qui sont impliquées dans ou complices de violations des droits humains et de dégradations environnementales à travers leurs filiales ou leurs chaînes de distribution ne peuvent être tenues responsables en raison de l identité légale individuelle des différentes entités impliquées. Les communautés affectées et les victimes d abus des entreprises font face à des obstacles physiques, financiers et légaux pour obtenir compensation. ECCJ fait appel aux décideurs politiques de l Union européenne (UE) et à ses Etats membres pour créer de nouvelles lois et garantir: La responsabilité légale des entreprises multinationales opérant à travers l UE pour tout dommage qu elles causent aux populations et à l environnement à l intérieur et à l extérieur de l UE. L obligation des entreprises multinationales de révéler les informations sur leurs activités lorsqu elles affectent les populations et l environnement. La possibilité pour les citoyens hors de l UE, victimes d abus delà part de compagnies européennes, de ne faire face à aucune barrière pour avoir accès à la justice en Europe. Pour en savoir plus: A propos d ECCJ ECCJ représente plus de 250 organisations défendant les droits humains, les droits des travailleurs, des organisations de développement, des groupes religieux, des syndicats et des groupes de consommateurs de tout l Europe. ECCJ œuvre en faveur d un monde durable dans lequel l attrait pour le profit des compagnies est équilibré par le respect des droits humains, sociaux et environnementaux. 7. Termes et conditions The selected artist (hereinafter the Artist ) acknowledges and agrees that the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (hereinafter ECCJ ) shall be entitled - but not obligated - to publish Artist s submitted work (hereinafter the Work ), together with other artistic works submitted by other artists from around the world, within the worldwide ECCJ Campaign 2010 Rights for People, Rules for Business, including but not limited to an online and/or offline exhibition. For this purpose, Artist hereby transfers and assigns to ECCJ, free of charge and costs, the nonexclusive right to reproduce, print, publish and otherwise utilize the Work on a non-profit basis, be it online or offline (e.g. website, posters, flyers), in order to exhibit, show and display the Work within the ECCJ Campaign 2010 and in order to promote, advertise and publicize the ECCJ Campaign 2010 to the greatest possible extent worldwide. This non-exclusive license shall be limited to the duration of the ECCJ Campaign 2010 (i.e. May 2010 through May 2011) and three (3) months thereafter (i.e. until end of August 2011). Following this original licence period, the above license shall continue in perpetuity, but limited to the purpose of ECCJ documenting its past activities, archiving the Work in ECCJ s web and/or print archive, and ECCJ self-promotional activities. Seite 4

5 No. A Region: North Africa Description: Dam jeopardizes ecosystem and livelihood of people Country: Ethiopia European angle: Company liability Corporation: Salini (Italy) Documentation: The rise and fall of the Omo waters is the heartbeat of the Lower Omo Valley. More than any other single factor, the river determines everyday economic practice throughout the region Likely impacts in Ethiopia 1. Elimination of the annual Omo flood will eliminate food crops of 100,000 indigenous farmers living in the Lower Omo Valley who plant seeds each year along the fertile river banks as the flood waters recede. Gilgel Gibe 3 Hydropower Dam is the largest investment project ever implemented in Ethiopia. Once completed, at 240 meters high and with a capacity of 1,870 MW, the dam will block the south western part of the Omo River, creating a 150 km long basin which will jeopardize the river s fragile ecosystem forever and dramatically affect the life of about people living in southwest Ethiopia and northern Kenya. The Dam is already under construction. The works started in 2006 with an expected cost of 1.4 billion euros, which does not include mitigation measures and compensation for the affected population. In violation of Ethiopia s law and international standards, with no competitive bidding, the Ethiopian government signed a contract with the Italian company Salini Costruttori. According to Ethiopian law, an environmental and social impact assessment is supposed to be carried out before any project is approved. Despite this, the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Agency approved retrospectively, two years after construction work started, an assessment study which was paid for by EEP- Co (Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation) and Salini, raising questions over its independence and credibility. The dam, if not stopped, will cause food insecurity, chronic hunger, poor health, food aid dependence, conflicts among the local communities for the control of the already scarce natural resources and a general unraveling of the economy and social safety net throughout the region. Less than 100 people were consulted in the Lower Omo Valley, and only after construction began. In Kenya, consultation have only begun in 2009, after complaints to a possible project funder. 2. The elimination of the annual Omo flood will affect an additional 100,000 tribal people in the Lower Omo Valley in two ways. First, it will reduce grazing lands available after the flood which local herders rely on to help feed their livestock during the dry season. Second, surplus food from the river bank harvest and from livestock are sold in the local markets and traded between tribes, which contributes to the local food security. 3. The reduction of fertile lands used for crops and grazing is expected to increase tensions and conflict amongst these communities, threatening progress made over years of peace building efforts. 4. The dam s 150 km long reservoir will create a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, increasing malaria. The reservoir will also displace the land and resources of 3,400 additional people and drown several sacred sites. Likely impacts in Kenya 5. The dam will reduce the Omo River s flow into Lake Turkana, causing the lake to drop up to 10 meters. 6. Reducing the lake s inflow will critically alter the ecosystem, affecting 300,000 people: First, the lake s salinity will increase, making this local water supply undrinkable. Second, the increased salinity will particularly harm the local fishing industry, which directly supports 100,000 local people. Seite 5

6 No. B Region North Africa Description No sufficient consultation of residents for hydropower project Country Sudan European angle Company duty of care Corporation Alstom (France), Documentation Lahmeyer (Germany) thousands-flooded-out-merowe-dam-sudan MEROWE, Sudan (AFP) Sudanese President Omar al-beshir inaugurated a massive hydro-electric project on Tuesday that has displaced tens of thousands and is the largest to be built along the Nile in 40 years. With a planned capacity of 1,250 megawatts, the Merowe Dam in Northern Sudan is the largest hydropower project in Africa. The project is being built by Chinese, German and French companies. The dam will more than double Sudan s electricity generation. More than 40,000 people have had to leave their homes to make way for the dam and the vast reservoir that will be formed behind it north of the capital Khartoum. They were relocated to arid settlements far away from the river. Peter Bosshard, International Rivers: The farmers we met told us that if the dam was indeed in Sudan s national interest, they were not fundamentally opposed to it. Yet they wanted to have a say in the planning of the project, and wanted to resettle at the banks of the reservoir rather than in the desert. In 2007, a United Nations human rights expert had called for a halt to work on two hydroelectric dams in northern Sudan after receiving reports that local communities are about to face large-scale evictions from the area to make way for the projects. Miloon Kothari, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, issued a statement saying he had also received numerous reports of violations of civil and political rights including the shooting of unarmed demonstrators, arbitrary arrests and repressive measures against the media by the Sudanese Government as it responded to local protests about the projects. The Special Rapporteur noted that thousands of people in the same area were relocated in similar circumstances that left many temporarily without food or shelter, and that some of those people remain homeless today. Given the local opposition, moving forward with the projects would lead to large-scale forced evictions and further violence, he said. He urged the Government to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and adequate housing of locals. The Special Rapporteur, who is independent and reports to the UN Human Rights Council, urged the companies involved in the dams and the countries that have funded the projects to put a halt to the work until the impartial evaluation can be made. He said he has received reports that the Merowe reservoir s water levels have already risen, destroying dozens of homes in the area and putting many more at risk. The affected people have claimed that they received no warning that water levels would be raised and that no assistance from Government authorities has been forthcoming since their houses were destroyed, Kothari said. Seite 6

7 No. C Region East Africa Description Violation of workers rights on tea plantations Country Kenya European angle Parent company duty of care Corporation Unilever (United Kingdom, Documentation Netherlands) nl/?searchterm=tea%20kenya language=en The current world real tea prices are on the decline due to overproduction (supply in excess of the demand) which has led to producers receiving low returns. Consequently, the situation has negatively affected working conditions and livelihoods of smallscale farmers and plantation workers in tea producing countries since they depend mostly on the commodity. There is need for drastic improvements in the social, ecological, economic and working conditions in this sector. The research done in Kenya was to provide information on the impact of low prices in the world market on the farmers and other players in the supply chain in the Kenyan context. A male worker from Unilever noted that before he was employed he underwent a medical examination where he was asked to remove all his clothes for a physical examination. The worker responded that he was never informed what tests were to be carried out. Some of the female workers interviewed stated that women were subjected to a pregnancy test. If the tests revealed that the woman was not pregnant her form would be stamped fit however if she was pregnant the form would not be stamped. She noted that the tests are done to check for pregnancy and open wounds. The worker stated before she was confirmed she was taken to the hospital where she took a urine test. She was never informed what tests would be run. Potential female employees who were in possession of a family planning card were not be subjected to the pregnancy test. The same trend was noted at James Finlays where a female worker noted that all potential employees have to take a medical test at the estate dispensaries and in some cases in the hospital. Seite 7

8 No. D Region Western Africa Description Toxic waste, illegally spilled: 16 dead, ten thousands injured. Country Côte d'ivoire European angle Access to Justice Corporation Trafigura (Netherlands, Documentation Switzerland) benefice-de-toutes English: On July 2, 2006, the Probo Koala, a ship leased by Trafigura, entered a port in Amsterdam to unload several hundred tons of toxic waste. Amsterdam Port Services BV, the company that had been contracted to take the waste, raised their price to process the waste 20-fold soon after determining the waste was more toxic than previously understood. Trafigura decided to have the ship take back the waste and have it processed en route to different dumping sites, which all refused it until Abidjan, Côte d Ivoire, one of Africa s largest seaports. In Abidjan, the waste was illegally dumped instead of processed it. More than people became sick due to exposure to the waste, and investigations were begun to determine whether it was intentionally dumped by Trafigura. On the eve of second anniversary of the dumping of toxic waste in Abidjan, and after the visit of UN Special Rapporteur on toxic waste in the Ivorian capital, the FIDH and its member Coast d Ivoire, the Ivorian League of Human Rights (LIDHO) and the Ivorian Movement for Human Rights (MIDH), call for prosecution of those responsible for the disaster and to take into account the rights and interests of victims. After two years of investigations by the Ivorian justice, no liability has been established in this case, even though the offenses charged are likely to be classified as criminal law Ivorian crime. Our organizations support the call to revive the criminal proceedings sent to the Ivorian authorities by Mrs Okechukwu Ibeanu, United Nations Special Rapporteur on toxic waste, following his visit to Abidjan. The victims must get the justice they deserve, he said. Our organizations believe that the lack of results is even more objectionable than the consequences of the spill, which resulted, according to official sources Ivorian, the deaths of 16 people and poisoning of over people continue to felt. The Special Rapporteur has confirmed that several sites had still not been fully decontaminated, threatening the lives and health of thousands of people. Victims still having symptoms related to contact with the waste do not have specific health care. In addition, all the victims were not given compensation which would be distributed by the Ivorian government, under a memorandum of agreement with Trafigura in February The FIDH and its members in Côte d Ivoire had, moreover, called it a transaction at the expense of truth, justice and redress for victims. Français: Après deux ans d investigations par la justice ivoirienne, aucune responsabilité n a été établie dans ce dossier, alors même que les faits poursuivis sont susceptibles de recevoir la qualification pénale de crime en droit ivoirien. Nos organisations soutiennent l appel à relancer la procédure pénale adressé aux autorités ivoiriennes par M Okechukwu Ibeanu, Rapporteur spécial des Nations unies sur les déchets toxiques, à l issue de sa visite à Abidjan. «Les victimes doivent obtenir la justice qu elles méritent», a-t-il déclaré. Nos organisations considèrent que cette absence de résultats est d autant plus critiquable que les conséquences de ce déversement, qui a entraîné, selon les sources officielles ivoiriennes, le décès de 16 personnes et l intoxication de plus de personnes, continuent à se faire sentir. Le Rapporteur spécial a ainsi confirmé que plusieurs sites n avaient toujours pas été totalement décontaminés, menaçant la vie et la santé de plusieurs milliers d habitants. Les victimes présentant aujourd hui encore des symptômes liés au contact avec les déchets n ont pas de prise en charge sanitaire spécifique. En outre, toutes les victimes n ont pas bénéficié des «indemnisations» qui devaient être distribuées par l Etat ivoirien, en application d un protocole d accord conclu avec Trafigura en février La FIDH et ses ligues membres en Côte d Ivoire avaient, par ailleurs, qualifié cet accord de «transaction au détriment de la vérité, de la justice et de la réparation pour les victimes». Seite 8

9 No. E Region Western Africa Description Timber company DLH accused of funding Liberian war Country Liberia European angle Parental company liability Corporation DLH France and Documentation DLH-Nordisk international_timber_company_dlh_accused_of_fundin photos_accompanying_dlh_briefing_ The world s leading international timber and wood products wholesalers is accused that during the civil war in Liberia from , DLH brought timber from Liberian companies that provided support to Charles Taylor s brutal regime. According to the claimants, by importing timber from forest concessions operated by unscrupulous and corrupt Liberian companies, the French arm of DLH is guilty of recel - the handling of and profiting from goods obtained illegally, punishable under French criminal law. It is claimed that DLH purchased timber acquired through corrupt means, from logging concessions operating illegally and in an environmentally destructive manner. DLH s suppliers operated throughout the civil war in Liberia with impunity, stripping the country of its natural resource wealth. DLH knew where the timber was coming from, and who was benefiting from the sales, and yet it carried on regardless, said Patrick Alley, Director of Global Witness. In recent years DLH has portrayed itself as a responsible corporate citizen, but it has never made any efforts to repatriate the profits it made from illegal timber supplies from Liberia, one of the world s poorest countries, or even apologised for its actions there. The complaint alleges that DLH France traded in wood originating from Liberian timber companies that failed to comply with Liberian law and/or did not have a legal right to operate. The complaint will rely on strong evidence of its suppliers involvement in corruption, tax evasion, environmental degradation, UN arms sanctions violations and gross human rights abuses. Revenue from forestry was a major source of funding for President Charles Taylor s illicit off-budget activities during the conflict. Timber sales enabled Taylor to procure arms in breach of UN sanctions, to wage a campaign of violence, which saw over 250,000 people killed and almost 1 million displaced. The warring parties committed atrocious abuses and the conflict caused serious economic and environmental damage. Today, Liberia remains one of the world s poorest countries; the economy was left in ruins and the security situation still volatile. Taylor is now standing trial for war crimes at the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Campaigners warned DLH of the links between its business and funding for the conflict as early as However, instead of ceasing its trade, the company accepted timber from Liberian vendors on which identifying mark were absent. This was contrary to standard industry practice, concealed the origin of the timber and prevented any public scrutiny of its Liberian purchasing and importation practices. It was not until the United Nations Security Council timber embargo came into force in July 2003 that DLH ceased its Liberian imports. A timber embargo was first recommended by the UN Panel of Experts in Despite repeated warnings from campaign groups, DLH failed to halt its bloody trade, only acting when UN timber sanctions forced its hand. Considering the vast amount of evidence showing the link between logging and the conflict, French authorities should launch an investigation into the activities of DLH in Liberia, said William Bourdon of Sherpa. Seite 9

10 No. F Region Central Africa Description Oil sands exploitation endanger largest tropical rainforests Country Republic of Congo European angle Company duty of care Corporation ENI (Italy) Documentation html Italian energy giant Eni SpA s plans to squeeze oil from the tar sands of the Republic of Congo, which campaigners claim could endanger one of the world s largest tropical rain forests. Eni says the crude would be produced in areas of grassy savannah, and wouldn t harm the local environment in the country, the capital of which is Brazzaville. But a study by German Heinrich Böll Foundation cites internal Eni reports as saying more than half the tar sands exploration zone is made up of primary forest and other highly bio-diverse areas. At issue is a technology condemned by environmentalists as polluting and out-of-synch with global efforts to tackle climate change. Eni s project would mark the first time the process of deriving synthetic crude from oil sands a mixture of sand, clay and bitumen has been applied on any scale outside of Canada. This is a particularly dirty, carbon-intensive form of oil production and it is being planned for an area that s highly sensitive in ecological terms, said Dr. Sarah Wykes, one of the authors of the report. It s just too high-risk. The industry has come under attack for the huge amounts of energy and water it consumes. Scientists have calculated that extracting one barrel of crude from oil sands produces at least three times as much carbon dioxide as drilling for a barrel of conventional oil. Meanwhile, water used to separate the oil from the sand is dumped in toxic tailing ponds, some of which are so big they are visible from space. Huge tracts of forest have been cleared to make way for oil sands developments. The Italian company is already well-established in Congo, sub- Saharan Africa s fifth-largest oil producer. Eni operates a huge onshore oil field called M boundi, and plans to use natural gas from the field to power a plant that will upgrade the bitumen from its tar sands development. Currently, the gas is simply flared into the atmosphere. But from the outset, the project was seen as controversial. Around 60% of Congo is covered by lowland tropical forests, much of it undisturbed wilderness that acts as a vital carbon sink. Eni first unveiled its tar sands investment in the Republic of Congo in May last year. It also pledged to build a new electric power station and to create oil palm plantations. Eni received permits to explore for tar sands in two areas Tchikatanga and Tchikatanga-Makola that cover an area of 1,790 square kilometers. It believes the area could hold several billion barrels of oil. Seite 10

11 No. G Region Southern Africa Description Steel producer denying legacies (ex-workers, environment) Country South Africa European angle Mandatory sustainability reporting Corporation Arcelor Mittal (Luxembourg, Documentation Netherlands) The ArcelorMittal plant is one of the top three air polluters in the industrial area south of Johannesburg and known as the Vaal Triangle, its toxic waste has been polluting the ground water since the early 1960 s and resulted in the forceful relocation of people inhabiting the immediate areas. As part of restructuring, Arcelor- Mittal recently retrenched thousands of workers. A large number of them, all migrants from rural areas, are currently challenging ArcelorMittal because of their present health status. ArcelorMittal South Africa has refused to provide environmental information to assist local communities in understanding the historical environmental impacts of the plant. Finally, the South African Competition Tribunal has been investigating ArcelorMittal s pricing policies. REPORT ArcelorMittal: Going nowhere slowly, 2009: a review of the global steel giant s environmental and social impacts. It includes case studies from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, India, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Romania and South Africa. In addition to pollution problems from existing plants the report includes case studies on two new planned investments. It concludes that in South Africa, the company continues to use corporate spin, evasion, and bureaucratic procedures as tools to undermine the peoples democratic right to information. nowhere_web.pdf PRESS RELEASE: ArcelorMittal continues to pollute and uproot people s lives, 2009: Comprising case studies from seven countries ranging from the Czech Republic to India and South Africa, the report also reveals new problems around ArcelorMittal s iron ore mining operations in Nimba County, Liberia. Film by resident Johann de Kock, 2002, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, showing toxic dust coming down from waste heaps to his farm: Seite 11

12 No. H Region East Asia Description Violation of Labour and Women s Rights Country China European angle Duty of care, mandatory sustainability reporting Corporation Aldi (Germany) Documentation ALDI-Studie-2.pdf (DE), cleanclothes.org/betterbargain SÜDWIND Institut für Ökonomie und Ökumene (part of the German CCC) published a study on the labour conditions in supplier factories of the Aldi Group. The research carried out in Chinese factories that supply special bargains to the biggest German discounter, uncovered massive rights violations. The report, Aldi s Special Bargains from China, calls upon Aldi and politicians to take effective action to address these problems. Every year, Aldi, the top German discount retailer, offers consumers about 2,500 special bargains such as computers, bicycles, guitars, blenders and textiles at sensationally low prices. In 2008, these sales made up 20% of the company s overall estimated sales of 35 billion. More than 40% of Aldi s special bargains originated from China in Special bargains have become a key element in the fierce competition of grocery retailing. These bargains succeed in attracting more and more consumers while above all pushing specialist traders from the market.the purchase of special bargains is governed by the principle of price reduction at any cost. Special bargains in discounters are intricately linked to the violation of labour and women s rights in global supplier factories, said Ingeborg Wick, researcher at SÜDWIND and author of the report. Earlier, in spring 2007, SÜDWIND published a study on Aldi s suppliers in the garment sector. To date, Aldi s response to rights violations in their supply chains has been insufficient. The new SÜDWIND study is an input to ongoing CCC campaigning to push retailers to take responsibility for conditions in their garment supply chain. The report also aims to be an input into efforts to strengthen cross-sector initiatives to intensify the pressure on discounters and political decision-makers in favour of a binding corporate global accountability. Together with partners in China, she carried out research on the labour conditions in factories in South China supplying Aldi with ICT goods, household appliances, cosmetics and textiles. They uncovered extensive violations. The mostly female employees worked up to 91 hours per week and yet were hardly able to make a living from their meager wages. The work load is enormous, and mistakes are being punished by fines. Fundamental labour and women s rights such as the right to maternity leave and to freedom of association are being suppressed, said Wick. These violations are typical in labourintensive industries in China because of the price pressure by buyers from industrialized countries. Seite 12

13 No. I Region South Asia Description Illegal dumping of mercury from thermometer factory Country India European angle Mandatory sustainability reporting, supply chain responsibility Corporation Unilever (United Kingdom, Documentation Netherlands) In March 2001, residents of Kodaikanal uncovered a dumpsite with toxic mercury-laced waste from a thermometer factory run by Unilever s Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Lever. The 7.4 ton stockpile of crushed mercury-laden glass was found in torn sacks, spilling onto the ground in a busy scrap yard located near a school. Despite the visible evidence, Subramaniam, Hindustan Lever s export marketing manager, dismissed charges of indiscriminate dumping. No hazardous wastes have left the factory site, he said. The exposure, which spurred 400 area residents as well as members of Greenpeace India to protest at the factory gates, marked the beginning of an ongoing saga of dishonesty and botched cover-up efforts by Unilever. It s been a learning experience that a reputed multinational could behave this way, says Minoo Awari, a Kodaikanal resident. As a host community we feel cheated. Mercury, which Unilever is accused of handling without taking environmental or worker safety precautions, is a toxic metal that converts to deadlier forms such as methyl mercury when released into the environment. Mercury accumulates in the liver, kidneys, brain and blood and can cause birth defects and serious disorders of the nervous system and kidneys. Responding to public pressure and the weight of the evidence, the company announced the closure of the factory on June 21, But residents, workers and environmental groups like Greenpeace say that Unilever still has a lot of work to do. Health care and financial compensation for workers, environmental clean-up, and an apology to the community are key among their demands to Unilever. Seite 13

14 No. J Region South Asia Description Employment conditions and contracts under the Sumangali scheme, units producing for Carrefour and C&A Country India European angle Supply chain liability Corporation Garment retailers: Documentation Carrefour (France), C&A (Belgium, Germany) The Sumangali Scheme: A New Form of Bondage in Tamil Nadu Employees Wanted We are on the look out for young, unmarried girls in the age group of for 3 years work on contract. Essential Qualifications: Height: 5 ft 2 inches (155 cm); Education: 10/12 Std or should know at least to read/write Tamil. The contract term begins on the completion of a 3-month training. In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of the contract, wages will be paid at the rate of Rs 1,300, Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,700 per month, respectively. An extra payment of Rs 200 will be given per month as incentive for taking up extra shifts. After the successful completion of 3 years, a bulk amount of Rs 25,000 will be given as assistance for their marriage. This vacancy notice, issued by a private textile unit in Suloor Road, Avinashi, Coimbatore, is an invitation to girls to take up jobs in the textile units of Tamil Nadu under the Sumangali Scheme or Mangalya Thittam (Marriage Assistance Scheme). Marriage is, usually, every adolescent girl s dream. Teenage girls in metropolitan cities, with innumerable options and preoccupations in life, may not be drawn to the enticement of such a dream. The skilful machinations of people, who offer hopes of realising this dream, however, lure teenage girls in the villages or small cities with fewer or no options. Many of these girls, from the poverty-stricken and remote villages of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and with no other alternative employment opportunities, fall prey to a new system of bondedness the Sumangali System in the textiles units of Tamil Nadu. Work in the textile units happens in three shifts. The first shift begins at 7.30 in the morning and continues up to The workers of the second shift have to report at 4.00 p.m. and work till 11.pm. The third shift commences at 11 in the night and ends at 7 in the morning. There is no tea break; instead, tea is served in the workplace so that the girls do not waste time, says Saravana Kumar, an activist with the Centre for Social Education and Development (CSED), Avinashi. Besides the continuous working hours, the girls are subject to the verbal abuse and sexual advances of the supervisory level staff. Aloysius, Director of SAVE, Tiruppur, narrates an incident in which 50 girls were chucked out of a textile unit in Palani. With his influence, ten of them got their settlement but the rest did not get a penny other than their daily wages. Deepa, who works with KPR units, decided to quit after completing one-and-a-half years. I am getting married, she says. I will not come back to the unit. Even if I want, the company will not take married women, she added. Deepa may get some amount from the units. My uncle who brought me here works as an agent for the company. The management has agreed to consider Deepa s case. The negotiation is on, she says. If she is granted money, hers will be an exceptional case, she feels. The girls who happen to complete the 3-year contract never come back to work, says Comrade Senthil Raj of CITU. The girls lose their adolescence, are morally and physically worn out, and turn out to be good-for-nothing, he says. The company knows very well that it is not worth taking these girls again on the job, he adds. Seite 14

15 No. K Region South Asia Description Peasants dismantle tankers, container and passenger ships at deadly peril (Chittagong). Country Bangladesh European angle Company liability, duty of care Corporation Shipping company owners Documentation shtml The material composition of a vessels structure, components and systems will reflect the era from when it was built. Likewise, cargo-remains, system agents and onboard spares and consumables will reflect its type and pattern of trade. At the end of the operational life, the vessel still represents a resource, as a considerable proportion of its lightweight is suited for reuse or recycling. However, the extraction processes required, produce debris and wastes that in itself represent a threat to the environment and consequently to human health. Further, the methods adopted in the demolition and extraction process are suffering from serious deficiencies with regard to general safety aspects. In order to ensure the safety of workers and the environment, the extraction and demolition processes require managerial routines covering the aspect of Safety, Health and the Environment (SHE). Knowledge on the nature, scale and the environmental impacts of ship scrapping as it is performed today will be important inputs when defining such routines. One major challenge is that of identifying, quantifying and locating all onboard substances of concern. Proper documentation on on-board substances will ease and improve the planning of operations necessary for the processes associated to extraction, sorting, handling refining and reuse / recycling. Ship breaking on the sub-indian continent has developed into an activity of considerable volume supplying raw material to the steel-industry for both re-rolling and re-melting. The breaking processes also supply second hand material and equipment for re-use both locally but also for export. Steel scrap from ship breaking provide as an alternative to the consume of non-renewable ore resources allowing the manufacture of steel to be undertaken significantly more energy efficient. In this perspective, ship breaking can be claimed to be a sound sustainable industrial activity. However, the extraction of steel-scrap and materials and components for re-use, provide challenges associated to methods adopted ensuring that these are equally sustainable. Seite 15

16 No. L Region South Asia Description Poverty wages, forced overtime, and repression at suppliers Country Bangladesh European angle Duty of care, mandatory sustainability reporting Corporation Walmart (Asda, United Documentation Kingdom, Walmart, USA), retailers-cashing-in-on-poverty-wages, Tesco (United Kingdom), rights.org/documents/cashingin Carrefour (France), Aldi (Germany), and Lidl (Germany) Amsterdam, 10 February 2009 Major global retailers Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, and Walmart are seeing massive profits and increasing market share in the garment sector, as workers in their supply chains face increasing poverty, appalling conditions, and serious workers rights violations, according to a new report released today by the Clean Clothes Campaign. With a heavy heart we live like prisoners, said one young woman working at a Bangladesh factory producing for Carrefour, Tesco, and Walmart where there is no union and workers are told to lie to auditors about working conditions. As the economic crisis worsens around the globe, CCC research in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Thailand published today in Cashing In: Giant retailers, purchasing practices, and working conditions in the garment industry shows how the discounter model used by these retailers squeezes suppliers and results in serious workers rights violations in their supply chains enabling them to cash in as consumers and workers are forced to tighten their belts. Workers at factories supplying these retailers told researchers about working weeks as high as 90 hours, overtime that is unpaid, wages so low that families are malnourished, and strong resistance to any attempts at worker organising. At the same time suppliers revealed how the supermarkets are cranking up the pressure to deliver faster and produce cheaper a model that makes a mockery of the social commitments made by these companies. The report reveals that failure to pay a living wage, increased use of temporary contracts, repression of union rights, excessive hours, and gender discrimination are key problems in the garment supply chains of these five global retailers. Retailers own purchasing practices prices and schedules they impose on suppliers create some of the biggest obstacles to implementing the very international labour standards they have committed to. The Giants size and price-breaking approach make them leaders in the global race to the bottom on working conditions, said Nina Ascoly, of the CCC s International Secretariat. As one worker at an Indian supplier for Carrefour, Tesco, and Walmart said of a corporate code of conduct: We don t read this, because reading it would not benefit us. We don t get the benefits mentioned in it. Seite 16

17 No. M Region South Asia Description Fire killed 21 employees in knitwear factory Country Bangladesh European angle Duty of care for supply chain, mandatory sustainability reporting Corporation H&M (Sweden) Documentation On Thursday, February 25, 2010, twenty-one workers died when the Garib & Garib Sweater Factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, caught fire for the second time in six months. A governmentauthorized probe into the cause of the fire said the fire was started by an electric short-circuit on the second floor of the factory. It quickly spread to the other floors filled with inflammable materials such as wool threads and other goods. Lasting nearly two hours, the fire created a thick black smoke and consumed the oxygen in the air, suffocating the workers. The smoke could not escape because of poor ventilation and the presence of unauthorized sheet metal structures that were being used for storage of highly inflammable materials on the roof of the building. Workers could not escape because exits were locked and materials blocked the stairways. The factory s fire-fighting equipment was virtually useless, according to the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defence, and reportedly none of the security guards on duty knew how to operate fire extinguishers and hydrants. On March 7, families of the deceased workers received Taka (approximately 2085 Euro) in compensation. The injured workers have been admitted to several hospitals in the Dhaka area. There is no news yet about whether these first steps will be followed by further compensation measures, needed in the longer term for both the seriously injured workers and the families of the deceased workers. The Clean Clothes Campaign has contacted European and US garment companies that reportedly sourced from Garib & Garib Sweater Ltd. The Swedish H&M responded to the CCC that they are working together with another current buyer, the Italian company Teddy who owns the brand Terranova, on compensation of the injured workers and the families of the deceased. Sadly, this fire was not only preventable, it was predictable, and therefore in no way can we call it an accident. Since 2000 the Clean Clothes Campaign and its Bangladeshi partner organisations have been calling for a review of all Bangladeshi garment factories following similar fatal accidents, all sharing the same hallmarks including blocking of stairways with goods and materials, locking of factory gates, bad ventilation, missing or inappropriate fire extinguishing equipment and lack of personnel trained in emergency operations. However, to date neither the government, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) or the international buyers have taken sufficient steps to address the structural and systemic problems in the garment industry. The fact that H&M denies that structural safety problems existed at Garib & Garib is worrisome, however. They say that their October 2009 audit found there were clearly marked escape routes and emergency exits, as well as fire extinguishers. The inadequacy of the audit system could not be more clearly demonstrated. It has been the criticism from the labour movement for the last decade that the audit system fails to detect lack of compliance on a day-to-day basis. Just ticking off the existence of escape routes does not help if stairways are blocked with materials. Likewise the availability of fire extinguishers is not enough when nobody is trained to use them. Involving workers in monitoring health and safety conditions therefore remains a fundamental prerequisite to ensure that incidents like this are prevented in the future. Seite 17

18 No. N Region Southern America Description Electric grid company puts poor customers at deadly peril and violates workers rights to increase profits Country Colombia European angle Parental company liability Corporation Union Fenosa (Spain) Documentation Concurrent to Unión Fenosa s entrance to Colombia complaints were made concerning its extreme arrogance and aggressiveness. Even though there was a slight improvement with respect to the treatment of the users, the service provided has not been satisfactory, as abuses have been reported concerning cutoffs, reconnections, overbilling and undeclared rationing, in addition to the everyday occurrence of deaths by electrocution along the Caribbean Coast. At times, there are up to ten unannounced interruptions per day, especially in neighborhoods with limited economic resources. Furthermore, a large amount of persons have died by electrocution. From only January to May 2008 in Barranquilla, the capital of the department of Atlantico, 12 persons died from electrocution, in addition to 5 more for the period from June to August This often occurs due to poorly set cables, tardy and insufficient maintenance, and defects in installation. However, the companies deny any responsibility for the electrocutions, since people in poor neighborhoods at times informally connect to the electrical grid without prior authorization. Within this context, some of the social networks, which have expressed resistance to these situations, have even received death threats over the years from paramilitary groups and former military members. They have also reportedly been pressured by the companies to cease their activities. The Unión Fenosa subsidiary companies have also not been able remove themselves from the internal armed conflict. In the department of Magdalena, Electricaribe reportedly contracted a company in the hands of the political chief of the Northern Bloc paramilitary group to carry out the billing of the energy service. The company allegedly received 20% of the payments. No public pronouncement or investigation has been made with respect to this issue and the role of the electrical company. Another example is the setting of labor rights violations, including an increase in the number of years of service required to receive a pension, elimination of extra pay for work on Sundays, holidays or overtime, elimination of pensions for the widows and spouses of workers, and especially a strong reduction in time-off for union activity. Likewise, the companies applied a series of mechanisms to divide the workers, including the creation of a line worker committee that functioned parallel to the trade union and whose members were granted many advantages. Lastly, in 2005, the government modified the Pension Law, which eliminated private companies responsibility in relation to pension funds. Seite 18

19 No. O Region Southern America Description Falsified invoices, bribery scandals, extortion, environmental destruction and serious violations of human rights Country Ecuador European angle Parental company liability Corporation Skanska (Sweden) Documentation org/article.php?id=14982 The Swedish construction company Skanska s oil affairs reveal a corporate identity that is very different from the one conveyed in its home market. Falsified invoices, bribery scandals, extortion, environmental destruction, and serious violations of human rights are among the ethical and legal infractions that Skanska has been associated with in Latin America. Most recently, scandals have loomed regarding the company s operations in the controversial but economically lucrative gas and oil sector. Skanska s joint venture partners also include Repsol-YPF, a Spanish-Argentinean oil company, belongs to this group. According to Oilwatch, its operations are some of the most criticized in the world from a human rights and environmental standpoint. Despite that, Skanska works with Repsol-YPF in some of Latin America s most vulnerable regions, including the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. In these vulnerable ecosystems oil extraction is continually met with strong local opposition and Repsol-YPF is involved in a number of legal cases involving crimes against both national and international environmental laws, as well as human rights and the rights of native populations. The Yasuni National Park, a UNESCO-protected nature reserve and the native territory of the Waorani people, is situated in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon. There, Skanska and Repsol- YPF are operating under very controversial conditions, as highlighted by organizations such as Oilwatch and Acción Ecológica. Together with the Waorani people, Oilwatch has criticized how the companies advance is taking place under the protection of military forces and private security teams. Oilwatch s book, Atlas Amazónico, describes how the company has committed the most terrible violations of human rights in the particular area of Yasuni (Oil Block 16). In Ecuador, where Diaz oversees Skanska s oil activities in the rain forest, the local population, authorities, and environmental organizations have directed harsh criticism towards the operation. According to Marcos Baños, from the environmental inspection unit in the Amazon province of Orellana, Skanska has been negligent from an environmental standpoint as well as a purely legal one a problem that they have attempted to bribe themselves out of. When the Swedish independent media group, Yelah.net, went to meet with Skanska s regional manager in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Milton Diaz, numerous times during 2006, he confirmed the militarized situation that the oil industry creates and in which Skanska actively participates. He explained that Skanska operates under military protection and that private armed forces (mercenaries and paramilitaries) are essential to be able to operate in what he refers to, disparagingly, as banana republics. Seite 19

20 No. P Region Southern America Description Plans for steel mill risk livelihood of 8000 fishermen and their families Country Brazil European angle Parent Company liability Corporation Thyssen-Krupp (Germany) Documentation Building the largest iron and steel plant in Latin America ThyssenKrupp ignores environmental protection, violates labour rights and workplace safety laws and threatens the local population. In December 2006 Atlantic Steel Company began to build the iron and steel plant TKCSA, the largest in Latin America with an annual capacity of production of 5.5 million tons of steel plates. Fisherman Luis Carlos Da Silva, who has worked in Sepetiba Bay, Brazil for forty years, told Real World Radio I am here to report the massacre and environmental destruction caused by Thyssen Krupp Corporation in Sepetiba Bay fishermen and their families live in the area of the steel mill at Sepetiba Bay which is about 70 kilometres west of Rio de Janeiro. From the start of the construction the local population and the fishermen association have been protesting against the negative impact of the TKCSA steel mill, in particular permanent damage to the environment and loss of their main income which is fishery and tourism. A compensation for their lost income which had been agreed on in a meeting between the fishermen and a TKCSA representative has not been paid so far. The most concerning aspect of the fishermen s accusation is the spill on mirror-still water of mud polluted with heavy metals from dredging with high impacts that are forming islands of sediment in the mouth of rivers that flow into the bay. They also reported the obstruction of rivers and canals with iron plates, which prevent fishing in places that have been used by craft fishermen for over 200 years. These incidents have affected several fundamental rights in the communities living by the bay. Not only to their right to work, but also the right to free circulation, since the obstructions prevent the residents of the area from coming and going through the mirror-still water, according to the case filed on Thursday. Luis Carlos Silva said the fishermen began to suffer chronic diseases and that some of them died. This is a case of sea destruction. The construction of the port will hinder the traffick of the fishermen s ships. The federal, municipal and state governments allow this to happen, they support the transnational corporation. TKCSA s security activities are closely connected to local militias which are informal groups formed by policemen, ex-policemen, firemen, and politicians, that control the territory. The militias structure and activities resemble those of other illegal, criminal organizations, such as the mafia. They charge fees for providing certain services, such as transport, gas and electric power supply and security. Moreover, the militas control police forces and politicians through corruption. Local fishermen leaders who are in opposition to the iron and steel plant have been receiving death threats by the militias, namely by the person who was in charge of the security activities in TKCSA s site. Since the public hearing, the leader of the fishermen has been included in a Brazilian program to protect human rights defenders. Brazilian Federal Government s Human Rights Secretariat assumes in a document that the TKCSA security consists of militia members. This document we sent on request to the Foreign Office on December 8, 2009 and on request of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation to the Honorable Minister Niebel on December 15, Seite 20