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'BUSINESS ACTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE', Oct 26/27, London

Noisy Joe | 23.10.2004 11:19 | London

It's sham time. Thought you should know what bullshit is bubbling in the seething toxic cauldron that is 'Corporate Social Responsibility'. Shame in particular on:
*Founder-Chair of the Amnesty International UK Business Group, Sir Geoffrey Chandler:  information@amnesty.org.uk
*International Alert, Project Director, Jessica Banfield:  general@international-alert.org
*Humanist Committee for Human Rights, Holland, Marina d'Engelbronner:  info@globalreporting.org
*Danish Institute for Human Rights, Christina Schultz:  center@humanrights.dk
*Oxfam , Health policy advisor, Mohga Smith: 01865 312610;  msmith@oxfam.org.
uk
*Amnesty, Campaign coordinator Economic Relations and Human Rights, Alessandra Masci
These organisations are part of the problem in the way that they help to provide companies with a smokescreen to continue business as usual. Let them know how you feel, especially if you have any links with them.


(For more info on what some of these companies (particularly BP) really do, rather than what they spend millions telling us they do, see
www.baku.org.uk
www.jatam.org
www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk/
www.carbonweb.org
www.minesandcommunities.org/Aboutus/partizans.htm
www.babymilkaction.org)

From: "Ethical Corporation"
Subject: Business Action on Human Rights conference - 2 weeks left to secure your place
BUSINESS ACTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE
2 day conference and workshops, October 26 - 27, London
 http://www.ethicalcorp.com/humanrights
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SAVE £100 IF YOU PAY BY CREDIT CARD BY WEDNESDAY 20TH OCTOBER!
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Click here:  http://www.ethicalcorp.com/humanrights/register
In addition to the £100 discount, the first 10 to register
quoting reference Q5 will get a FREE copy of our new 50,000 word
report on how 8 leading multinational companies are managing
human rights policy development and implementation! The report
usually retails at £399. Contact us for details.
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Confirmed speakers so far include:
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*International Commission of Jurists, Secretary-General, Nicholas Howen
*Founder-Chair of the Amnesty International UK Business Group,
Sir Geoffrey Chandler
*Rio Tinto, Head of Comm. & Sustainable Development, Andrew Vickerman
*BP, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, Graham Baxter
*Alfa Laval Group, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, David Ford
*US Council for International Business, Vice President, Labor Affairs
and Corporate Responsibility, Adam Greene
*International Alert, Project Director, Jessica Banfield
*Humanist Committee for Human Rights, Holland, Marina d'Engelbronner
*Danish Institute for Human Rights, Christina Schultz
*Warwick Business School CCU, Strategy and International Development,
Prof Alyson Warhurst
*Insight Investment, Director, Investor Responsibility, Rory Sullivan
*DHL, Head of Corporate Citizenship, Richard Corriette
*RWE Thames Water, CSR Director, Richard Aylard
*F&C Asset Management, Senior Analyst, Governance & SRI, Kirsty Jenkinson
*Oxfam , Health policy advisor, Mohga Smith
*Amnesty, Campaign coordinator Economic Relations and Human Rights,
Alessandra Masci
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Delegates so far include:
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* Storebrand * Old Mutual Plc * Nestlé UK Ltd * Amnesty
International * Allied Domeq * One World Trust * Shell
* Rolls-Royce * Norsk Hydro * ING * Novartis * Philips *
CARE * ABN Amro * Scotiabank * De Beers * National Grid
Transco * Ethibel * BAT * Repsol * Total * UBS AG *
Novo Nordisk * Save The Children * Eni SpA and more!
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Key issues that will be discussed at the conference include:
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- What are the limits of business responsibility for human rights?
- Supply chain labour rights - what are the leading companies doing?
- Access to water and essential products - how can business help?
- It's the people, stupid - putting HR into Human Rights
- Setting and reporting on targets for human rights management
- Human rights management in conflict prone zones
- Extractive industries: Managing plant security issues
- Developing human rights monitoring systems
- Building NGO partnerships on human rights
The programme detailing case studies, panels and breakout
discussions for the 2 days is now online at:
 http://www.ethicalcorp.com/humanrights/programme.shtml
Click on the link below to register on our secure server:
 http://www.ethicalcorp.com/humanrights/register
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IF YOU PAY BY CREDIT CARD BEFORE WEDNESDAY 20TH YOU WILL GET
AN EXCLUSIVE £100 DISCOUNT! ALSO, THE FIRST 10 TO REGISTER WILL
GET A FREE COPY OF OUR NEW REPORT ON HOW 8 LEADING MULTINATIONAL
COMPANIES ARE MANAGING HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION (RRP: £399)!
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We hope to see you in London on October 26 - 27!
Best wishes,
Pete and Laura
Pete Carkeek
Head of Conference Division
Ethical Corporation magazine
mailto: peter.carkeek@ethicalcorp.com
7-9 Fashion St, London E1 6PX
 http://www.ethicalcorp.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 73 75 7160
Freephone: 1800 814 3459 ext.282
Laura Geron
Conference Director
Ethical Corporation
+44 (0) 20 73 75 7226
7-9 Fashion St, London E1 6PX
mailto: laura.geron@ethicalcorp.com
 http://www.ethicalcorp.com/
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Noisy Joe

Comments

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Feedback from Amnesty

24.10.2004 12:16

Perhaps you also would like to post on your webpage as I was not able to
access it what will be the scope of AI's participation in the Conference,
as we only attend these type of events when we have a message to convene. I
attach below the link to the survey that has showed the lack of
effectiveness of the KPCS to stem out the conflict diamond trade and the a
compilation of the media coverage.

All the best

Alessandra

Diamonds: The report "Dejavu - The diamond industry still failing to
deliver on promises" by Amnesty International and Global Witness
presents the results of a recent survey of leading diamond companies and
stores in the US and UK. The survey found that fewer than one in five
companies that responded in writing provided a meaningful account of
their policy and less than half of diamond jewellery retailers visited
in stores were able to give consumers meaningful assurances that
diamonds are conflict free.

The report was launched on 18 October 2004 in New York during the World
Diamonds Congress meeting. Representatives of Global Witness and Amnesty
international USA presented the findings of the survey to both the World
Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond
Manufacturers Association (IDMA). The World Diamond Council (WDC), is
responsible for representing the diamond industry on the conflict
diamond issue and for promoting adoption of the self-regulation by all
sectors of the industry.

The media coverage following the launch has been brilliant especially in
the UK with reports on The Guardian( 2 articves), the Financial Times
and The Times. For more information see link below.

The feedback about the World Diamond Congress meeting from AIUSA and
Global Witness suggests that the report had a huge impact.

The World Diamond Council, the body that represents the industry in the
Kimberley Process, put out a press release in response to our report,
acknowledging that more had to be done. Nevertheless they also state
that much has been done by the industry, especially on the rough side,
to support the Kimberley Process.

The response from IDMA at the meeting was negative, although a few
members did express support for our work. While the WFDB meeting was
more hostile, the outcome was somewhat positive, as they made a
resolution that reaffirmed their efforts to implement the
self-regulation and encouraged their members to implement the system of
warranties, and to back this up with 'review' or auditing.

Despite this our main recommendation are directed to the KPCS
participating government urging them to monitor and verify the
effectiveness of the diamond industry in stopping the trade in conflict
diamonds and to report back to the KP mtg.

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International
Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) issued a joint resolution ..
urg(ing) its members to continue to fully enact and implement the
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and its supporting system
of warranties,. and to .continue to educate themselves and other members
of the industry in the implementation and enactment of the KPCS and the
supporting system of warranties. Each organization is urged to
pro-actively ensure that their members seek from their suppliers
specific warranties on any invoice or memo accompanying diamonds or
jewelry containing diamonds that the diamonds are traded in a manner
consistent with UN resolutions, the Kimberley Process and the system of
warranties. Each organization is urged to pro-actively ensure their
members include on each invoice or memo for diamonds or jewelry
containing diamonds a warranty that they have been traded in a manner
consistent with UN resolutions, the Kimberley Process, and the system of
warranties. Each company is urged to periodically review their
individual business records of incoming and outgoing warranties for the
purpose of ensuring the use of warranties for all goods traded..

For more information on the report and the survey, please visit
 http://web.amnesty.org/pages/ec-index-eng
To view the media coverage so far, please access the BERN DB on
 https://intranet.amnesty.org/cp/inca.nsf/aac7d56ca8fd884b852563be00610639/7b a246cdaff21eb080256f33004dc9c3!OpenDocument

Sam
mail e-mail: london@risingtide.org.uk