Business & human rights: Weekly Update - October 31, 2007

From the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre:Weekly Update: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre - 31 October
 2007

CLICK THIS LINK FOR ALL TOP STORIES added past 7 days /
Principales noticias / Articles de premier plan:
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Topstories?date=2007/10/31  
 
The top stories include / Las noticias incluyen / Les articles
 incluent:

* Rio Tinto mine in Madagascar: Panos/Friends of the Earth report
 raises displacement, poverty & environmental concerns
- Rio Tinto response
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/271557 

* Uzbekistan: BBC Newsnight finds govt. system of child labour in
 cotton industry - farms supply UK brands including Asda (part of Wal-Mart),
 Matalan, Arcadia's Topman & Burton
- Includes responses by brands & supplier Plexus Cotton - many brands
 say difficult to identify source of cotton
- Continental Clothing bans use of Uzbek cotton in its products, says
 "finding the source of raw materials was as easy as making a few phone
 calls"
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/840671

* Keynote speech by Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll at BSR
 conference - on mining safety, revenue transparency, development, HIV/AIDS
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/799526

* China: In first court ruling on hepatitis B discrimination, plaintiff
 receives RMB5000 from Changshuo Technology (part of Asus), but court
 sanctions termination of employment - Plaintiff's lawyer says decision
 "legalizes discriminatory acts" (our translation of Chinese original)
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/903156

* France: Palestinian Liberation Organization brings lawsuit against
 Veolia & Alstom, arguing Jerusalem railway breaches 4th Geneva Convention
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/512179

* EIRIS/CAER report examines 7 companies' policies & strategies on
 indigenous rights: Anglo-Eastern Plantations, Barrick Gold, BHP Billiton,
 Suncor Energy, Total, Weyerhaeuser, Woodside Petroleum
- Says some are addressing indigenous rights issues but none is going
 far enough
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/552218

* Iraq: Govt. approves draft law to revoke private military firms'
 immunity from prosecution
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/802471

* US State Department criticised for giving immunity to Blackwater
 personnel during investigation into shooting of Iraqi civilians
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/496741

* India: Local & global firms including Babajob, Microsoft develop
 technological products & services for the poor
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/999535 

* India: Child workers in "filthy conditions" found making clothes
 destined for Gap
- Gap statement
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/164422 

* Launch of the Sir Geoffrey Chandler Speaker Series, 4 Dec, London
- "Business & Human Rights: 3 perspectives - from China, Africa and a
 pioneer in the field"
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Documents/4-Dec-2007

* Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights: 2 job announcements
 (Paris-based)
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/286613

* Español: Brasil: Manifestante de Movimiento Sin Tierra (MST) y agente
 de seguridad muertos en enfrentamiento en hacienda de semillas
 genéticamente modificadas de Syngenta
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/565867

* Español: Ecuador: Presidente Correa otorgó licencia ambiental para
 que Petrobras opere en la Amazonía a pesar de protestas de indígenas por
 "amenaza" a su territorio
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/923012 

* Español: Chile: Codelco apoya a mujeres microempresarias como parte
 de proyecto estratégico con comunidades vecinas
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/925911 

* Español: España: "Jornadas para el debate por una Banca Desarmada",
 organizadas por Justícia i Pau - se refiere a BBVA, Santander, Banesto,
 Banco Popular, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Caja Madrid, La Caixa, entre
 otras
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/438449

* Français : Blackwater aurait reçu une promesse d'immunité du
 département d'Etat américain pour ses agents impliqués dans la mort d'Irakiens
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/410511 

* Français : Bernard Kouchner défend la présence de Total en Birmanie
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/696681 

* Français : Deux opportunités de travail (Paris) : Entreprises pour
 des Droits de l'Homme
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/594875

* Français : Mali : Bramali adopte une charte d'engagement pour
 prémunir ses employés contre le Sida & conduit une opération d'information et
 de sensibilisation pour les citoyens de Bamako