The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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Dan Beeton wrote: > > This is also a campaign that EarthRights International/ERI (Birmanie) > is working on, FYI: > > Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 14:10:34 -0500 > From: "Lisa Archer" <LArcher@foe.org> > Subject: SHINE LIGHT ON CORPORATIONS ABROAD! ENDORSE > Intnl. Right to Know! > > Hold US Corporations Accountable > Endorse International Right to Know Campaign > > Dear Friends, > > On behalf of a coalition of environmental, labor, > social justice and human rights organizations, we're > writing to ask for your support for important new > legislation to hold U.S. multinational corporations > accountable. > > Recent protests at meetings of the World Trade > Organization, World Bank and International Monetary > Fund illustrate a growing concern about globalization > and the actions of corporations. The public is > increasingly aware that trade and investment > agreements enable big business to move from country to > country around the globe, but place no requirements on > corporations to operate responsibly. > > US corporations should be held accountable for their > impacts on the environment, human rights and workers > around the world. A recent survey by the University of > Maryland's Program on International Public Attitudes > showed that nearly 90 percent of the American public > expect US companies to follow US environmental and > safety standards overseas. > > A coalition of environmental, labor, social justice > and human rights organizations has joined together to > ensure that at a minimum, basic US right-to-know laws > are applied to the overseas operations of US-owned > companies. Groups working on this initiative include > Friends of the Earth, Amnesty International, American > Lands Alliance, AFL-CIO, Global Exchange, Sierra Club, > Oxfam America, Student Environmental Action Coalition, > People of Faith Network, Rainforest Action Network, > and the Center of Concern. We believe that the public > here and abroad has a right to know how US-owned > corporations are treating their workers, local > communities, and the environment. > > The coalition has developed a right-to-know > legislative proposal that would require US > corporations to report on their operations in foreign > countries. This proposal would extend key domestic > right-to-know laws in the environmental, labor, and > human rights areas to the overseas operations of > US-owned companies. > > The outline of this legislative proposal is attached > below. We are seeking the endorsement of your > organization for this proposal, and we believe that > together we can convince members of Congress to > sponsor and pass international right to know laws. > Please join us in our effort to require US companies > to disclose how they are operating around the globe by > endorsing the proposal and by forwarding it to others > whom may wish to endorse it. > > Please return your endorsement as soon as possible to > larcher@foe.org. If you have any questions regarding > the right-to-know proposal and the coalition effort, > please contact David Waskow at Friends of the Earth at > dwaskow@foe.org. > > Please help us spread the word about this legislative > proposal by forwarding the appeal for endorsements to > other organizations, especially through listserves. We > will also be launching an International Right to Know > campaign web site and sending out action packets in > the next month. If you are interested in taking action > on this campaign, please indicate that on your reply. > Thank you for your participation in this important > effort for global accountability. > > Sincerely, > Lisa Archer > National Field Organizer > Friends of the Earth > 202-783-7400 x111 > larcher@foe.org > INTERNATIONAL RIGHT-TO-KNOW LEGISLATION > > PROPOSED COMPONENTS > > PURPOSE: Right-to-know laws in the United States * > such as the Emergency Planning and Community Right to > Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 that requires toxic release > reporting * have provided communities and workers with > essential information about the conditions they face. > Moreover, many businesses have voluntarily improved > their practices in response to right-to-know laws; for > example, industries have reduced their toxic releases > by almost 50% si-ce the EPCRA program began. > > Given the critical role played by such disclosure > requirements, right-to-know principles should be > extended to the international operations of U.S. > companies. Communities and workers throughout the > world have the right to important information about > corporate practices that will have significant impacts > on their lives. In addition, the American public > expects that our international economic policy will > reflect our country's best values, and not just > commercial interests. The time has therefore come to > export our values by ensuring that U.S. firms > operating abroad report on their practices in the > critical areas of environment, labor and human rights. > > ENVIRONMENT > > Toxic Release Inventory. Apply current domestic toxic > release inventory legislation to U.S. businesses > operating abroad; this would require reports to the > U.S. EPA on toxic pollutants released into the air, > land and water. > > Resource Extraction Disclosure. Require U.S. > businesses to report the amount of natural resources * > such as timber, minerals, etc. * that the company has > extracted, processed, purchased, or bid to purchase > abroad. > > Emissions Permit Reports. Require U.S. businesses to > report when they have applied to a foreign government > for the right to increase pollutant emissions from an > overseas facility. > > LABOR > > Occupational Safety and Health Reports. Apply current > domestic OSHA reporting requirements to U.S. > businesses operating abroad by requiring that they > report serious work-related injuries and deaths. > > Hazardous Chemicals Disclosure. As under current U.S. > domestic law, require U.S. businesses operating abroad > to inform workers about hazardous chemicals in the > workplace. > > Core Labor Standards. Require U.S. businesses to > report on their labor rights policies and any > complaints received against them, and require them to > post the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and > Rights at Work in every domestic and foreign facility. > > HUMAN RIGHTS > > Security Arrangements Disclosure. Require U.S. > companies operating abroad to disclose the existence > of their security arrangements with state police and > military forces or with third party military or > paramilitary forces. > > Human Rights Policy Reports. Require U.S. companies > operating abroad to report on their human rights > policy, any complaints received from local > communities, and any human rights lawsuits filed > against them. > > FACILITIES, SUBSIDIARIES AND CONTRACTORS > > Disclosure of Facilities, Subsidiaries and > Contractors. Because the reporting requirements above > rely on having a clear picture of where U.S. companies > are operating abroad, require U.S. businesses to > disclose the name and location of all their facilities > abroad and all facilities maintained by their > subsidiaries or contractors abroad. Such a reporting > requirement builds on the current SEC disclosure > requirement for the principal facilities of a > corporation. > > Disclosure by Facilities, Subsidiaries and > Contractors. U.S. corporations would be required to > provide certain information concerning the > environmental, labor and human rights practices of > their subsidiaries and contractors abroad. > > MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT > > Accounting Requirements. Require covered businesses to > maintain detailed records of the information reported. > > Criminal/Civil Penalties for Non-Compliance. Allow > government prosecution of businesses or individuals > that fail to comply with the reporting provisions. > > Citizen Suits. Allow private citizens and > organizations to sue violators and collect damages. > > Lisa Archer > International Program, National Grassroots Field > Organizer > Friends of the Earth-United States > 1025 Vermont Ave, NW > Washington, DC 20005-6303 > 202-783-7400 ext. 111 > 202-783-0444 (fax) > larcher@foe.org > > Note my new email address!: > > dbeeton@freeburmacoalition.org > > Dan Beeton > Free Burma Coalition > Washington Office > 1101 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, #204 > Washington, DC 20003 USA > (202) 547-5985 (ph) > (202) 544-6118 (fax) > //// et ca? apres la merde de MOBUTU plutot proche aux francais et aux belges? Arrivé au pouvoir en mai 1997 suite à 32 ans de pillage du pays par le kleptomane maréchal Mobutu, Laurent-Désiré Kabila représentait un espoir pour la démocratisation et la reconstruction du pays, espoir qu'il s'est acharné à détruire, installant un régime dictatorial, irrespectueux des droits de l'homme, interdisant les partis politiques, multipliant massacres et exécutions. Arrivé au pouvoir avec le soutien du Rwanda et de l'Ouganda, plutôt proches des USA, =Communiqué à la presse du 17 janvier 2001 des Verts -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk Full details of CASI's various lists can be found on the CASI website: http://www.casi.org.uk