SHELL GAME WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
http://www.corporateeurope.org/norms.html
Corporate lobby groups such as the International Chamber of
Commerce (ICC) have launched a fierce counter-campaign against the
proposed Norms on Business and Human Rights, which were developed
by a subcommission of the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights. The Norms oblige businesses internationally to refrain from
activities that violate human rights. In addition to the ICC, the
Norms have been vigorously opposed by the Shell oil company, a
self-proclaimed leader in the corporate social responsibility (CSR)
movement. "Is this not the kind of campaign one could expect only
from companies lagging behind and from free-riders refusing to
adapt to social and environmental concerns?" asks the Corporate
Europe Observatory (CEO). The motive behind Shell's opposition, CEO
suggests, is that "the company generally gets away easily with its
inflated claims concerning its social responsibility record. A
recent report by Christian Aid documents that Shell's operations in
the Niger Delta (Nigeria) are still causing serious problems for
local communities. The report also highlights that most of the
community development projects presented in various glossy Shell
reports on CSR are in fact failing. Hospitals, schools and water
supply systems are built but never start working, and roads are
mainly used to boost oil production. But beyond the debate about
the extent to which Shell`s CSR claims are actually greenwash and
poor-wash, it is clear that the company is determined to prevent
the emergence of international mechanisms through which communities
could hold it accountable to its pledges."
More web links related to this story are available at:
http://www.prwatch.org/spin/March_2004.html#1080415559