Business Leaders Advise Trump Urged to Reject Travel Ban, Promote Human Rights

IHRB, the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR), the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), and over 60 other human rights groups and responsible investors including faith-based organizations today sent a letter to the 19 current and former CEOs comprising US President Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum in advance of their upcoming meeting with the President this Friday.

The Strategic and Policy Forum was convened by President Trump to provide input as the President and his administration implement his economic agenda. The group’s letter urges the CEOs to use Friday’s meeting to speak out strongly against the President’s Executive Order restricting entry into the U.S. for refugees, immigrants, and documented residents from selected counties.

Specifically, the letter calls on the business leaders to take the following actions:

1. Speak out strongly against the President’s Executive Order restricting entry into the U.S. for refugees, immigrants, and documented residents from selected countries;
2. Recommend that the President and his administration join with them and the global business community to ensure respect for the human rights of workers, regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, immigration status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, at home and in global value chains; and
3. Urge the U.S. government to work with other nations to align corporate policies and practices with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The letter also called on the corporate leaders to ensure respect for the human rights of all workers, and to align corporate policies and practices with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The groups warn that the travel ban undermines respect for human rights and the lives of workers and their families in the U.S. and beyond, and will disrupt economic activity and company operations. They call for respect for human rights and responsible business conduct, which they argue will benefit not only the American people, but will ensure an inclusive and prosperous global economy.

The groups will follow up with all the companies represented in the President’s Forum and look for public statements and policies that reflect the actions and commitments they have called for.

“Members of the Strategic and Policy Forum must be ambassadors for American values. These values include respect for diversity, inclusion, and the dignity of every human being. We’re watching if these CEOs and the corporations they represent stand up for these values, or stand idly by as they are quashed,”
Amol Mehra, Executive Director of ICAR

“The Executive Order hurts people and business. Companies must stand up for human rights, including the rights of those who are most vulnerable. If they do nothing, they will have to answer to investors, consumers, and workers at home and abroad.”
John Morrison, Chief Executive of IHRB

“Now is a moment in history to make a stand against discrimination and in support of fundamental American values of tolerance and inclusion.  As key representatives of corporate America, the business leaders advising the President have a critical responsibility to respect human rights and reject the thinly veiled bigotry and xenophobia that the travel ban evokes.”
Josh Zinner, ICCR

Letter Signatories: 

• International Corporate Accountability Roundtable
• Institute for Human Rights and Business
• Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
• Calvert Research and Management
• Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment
• Zevin Asset Management
• American Baptist Home Mission Societies
• Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston
• Leadership Team of the Felician Sisters of North America
• GoodWeave International
• Global Witness
• Seventh Generation Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment
• Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment
• Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
• Amnesty International USA
• Maryknoll Sisters
• Sisters of Charity, BVM
• Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt
• The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany
• The Pension Boards-UCC, Inc.
• Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
• Azzad Asset Management
• Oxfam America
• Justice Office of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet of the St. Paul Province
• Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investment
• Congregation of St. Agnes
• Health Care Without Harm
• School Sisters of Notre Dame Cooperative Investment Fund
• Dignity Health
• The Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart of Philadelphia, PA
• Solidarity Center
• Friends Fiduciary Corporation
• Adrian Dominican Sisters
• Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters, Immaculata, PA
• Mercy Health
• Mercy Investment Services, Inc.
• Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise
• Open Media and Information Companies Initiative
• Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order
• Congregation of St. Joseph
• International Rights Advocates
• Global Financial Integrity
• Dominican Sisters
• Stardust
• OIP Trust
• Domini Impact Investments LLC
• Boston Common Asset Management
• Sisters of Charity of New York
• Sisters of Bon Secours, USA
• Advocacy for Principled Action in Government
• Sisters of St Dominic- Amityville
• ALTSEAN-Burma
• Accountability Counsel
• Etica Sgr
• Trinity Health
• Congregation of St. Basil
• Progressive Asset Management
• The Xaverian Brothers
• Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
• Sisters of Charity, Halifax
• Region VI Coalition for Responsible Investment
• Benedictine Sisters
• Sisters of the Holy Cross
• Miller/Howard Investments, Inc.

Related:

• The World is Watching Corporate Action on Trump Travel Ban - commentary by IHRB's Salil Tripathi

• Trump likely to face questions over travel ban in meeting with CEOs - Reuters and Yahoo Finance