What human rights responsibilities do media companies bear during conflict?

Two weeks ago, Hamas extremists staged a surprise raid into Israel, in which more than 1,000 people were killed, and over 200 hostages were taken.  Israel’s response has so far reportedly killed over 3,000 people in Gaza. A grave crisis is...

What’s the Catch? Forced Labour and Trafficking in the Taiwanese Distant Water Fishing Industry

Seafood is one of the most traded food commodities in the world, with an estimated annual value of USD $153 billion. Around USD $42 billion of that is from tuna, a highly migratory species that traverse areas of our oceans beyond national...

Labor, Global Supply Chains, and the Garment Industry in South Asia - Bangladesh after Rana Plaza

For those of us who care for human rights and labor rights April 24, 2013 will always be known as the deadliest garment factory accident in history.

More than 1,125 people died and 2,000 were injured when Rana Plaza, an eight story building in the...

Rights and Wrongs - Business as Usual in Saudi?

One by one, global companies are trying to distance themselves from the Saudi Arabian Government.

The immediate provocation is the shocking disappearance and murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. On October 2, Khashoggi went to the Saudi...

Increasing Access to Business Practice is Key to Scaling Respect for Human Rights

Finding effective ways to talk about human rights with colleagues is a common challenge confronted by practitioners working in companies to drive implementation of respect for human rights. 

Whether these discussions happen within one’s immediate...

2018 TIP Report: Despite Shortcomings, An Opportunity for Continued Advocacy in Southeast Asia

The United States Department of State released its 2018 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report on 28^th June, ranking 187 countries on their performance in preventing and addressing trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation.

The report was first...

Human Rights and the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative - A Conversation

Fiona Solomon is the CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), a multi-stakeholder initiative dedicated to creating a responsible aluminium value chain, from bauxite mines to computer cases.

She sat down with ASI Standards Committee...

Killing Investigators Blinds Us All

For those who follow the news, the horrors that people suffer in war seem more visible now than ever before. Yet, there are moments when the hidden contours of war’s violence are driven home to us through the sacrifice of outsiders.

There are...

Protecting Workers Building Sporting Venues – Progress in Qatar

Mega-sporting events focus attention on human rights, however, it is often for a fleeting moment. It requires a great sense of urgency if improvements are to take place. In construction, it means a big, but temporary surge in activity for stadiums,...

New UN Human Rights Commissioner Needs to Get Down to Business

This piece was originally published on OpenDemocracy.net

Amidst many priorities, the High Commissioner must focus on the problem of ensuring companies respect human rights, at a moment when a hard fought consensus on how to do so is at risk of...

Now the real work begins: Implementing the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers

The last decade has seen an explosion in the use of private military and security contractors by governments, industry, the U.N., and humanitarian organizations. Meanwhile, the means to hold these companies and their personnel accountable for...

Foreign investment in Haiti – is the time right?

This week marks the third anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010. The extent of the disaster and human suffering that resulted led to unprecedented international efforts focused on assisting the Haitian people to...