Business & human rights: Weekly Update - February 27, 2008

From the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre:
Weekly Update: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre - 27 February
2008

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=2008/02/27

The top stories include / Las noticias incluyen / Les articles
incluent:

* War on Want issues legal challenge to UK Govt. over failure to
introduce law regulating private military & security companies
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/552164

* Yahoo! asks US Govt. to help free 2 imprisoned advocates in China,
who were arrested after Yahoo! complied with Chinese investigators
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/856310

* BBC discussion on business, human rights & global standards, with
Lisa Misol of Human Rights Watch & others
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/344047

* USA: Alaskan native villagers file lawsuit against oil & energy
companies over flooding caused by climate change, & misleading information
- Defendants include BP America, Chevron, ConocoPhilips, ExxonMobil,
Peabody Energy
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/593477

* Dem. Rep. of Congo: Companies consider options as govt. mining review
demands increased revenue & social programmes
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/306979

* CIDSE (coalition of Catholic development agencies) submission to UN
Special Representative John Ruggie
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/585560

* Orissa, India: ArcelorMittal pledges $250 million to resettle
villagers who will be displaced by steel plant
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/719303

* Kazakhstan: Govt. gives ArcelorMittal a month to implement coal mine
safety measures or could face closure
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/724732

* Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative: 7 new countries become
candidates
- Publish What You Pay says govts. & companies "must deliver" - Only 3
of 37 companies endorsing EITI have complied with reporting
requirements: Chevron, Shell, StatoilHydro
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/958468

* Indonesia: Advocates call for stronger measures against tuberculosis
discrimination in the workplace
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/979847

* India: New "Action Plan for Companies to Combat Child Labour"
- Developed by "Stop Child Labour - School is the best place to work"
campaign, with input from unions, business, NGOs, ILO
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/440588

* Tate & Lyle sugar to be Fairtrade - biggest UK firm to do so
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/991231

* 2008 a "defining" year for business & human rights: Commentary by
James Farrar
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/837447

* Paper by Doreen McBarnet, Oxford Univ., on increasing role of law in
corporate social responsibility
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/814803

* New summary profiles of business & human rights lawsuits, provided by
the Resource Centre: cases regarding Apartheid reparations; AngloGold
Ashanti (re silicosis, So. Africa), BHP Billiton (re environment, Papua
New Guinea) - other case profiles also available
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/489842

* Call for papers: Conference on business, human rights & intl. law -
where next after Special Representative John Ruggie's final report?
Copenhagen, 6-7 Nov 2008
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/528743

* Español: Colombia: Sindicato denuncia penalmente a C.I. Saceites por
"violación a domicilios, faltas a la libertad sindical"
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/887947

* Español: México: A dos años de explosión en mina Pasta de Conchos, de
Industrial Minera México, siguen bajo tierra 65 mineros y se critica
la impunidad  - Secretaría del Trabajo dice que no existen las
condiciones para recuperar los cuerpos
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/685637

* Español: México: Foro sobre derechos laborales en la industria de la
maquila en Puebla y Tlaxcala - 28 de febrero, UNAM, México D.F.
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/254240

* Español: Asepam (Asociación Española del Pacto Mundial de la ONU)
dice que empresas españolas lideran presentación de informes al Pacto
Mundial - ONGs y sindicatos escépticos
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/806632

* Français : Séminaire sur la Responsabilité Sociale des Entreprises
dans l'espace francophone, Rabat, 28-29 février et 1 mars - organisé par
l'association Francophone des Commissions Nationales des Droits de
l'Homme
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/646927

* Français : GlaxoSmithKline baisse le prix de ses médicaments
anti-sida pour les pays pauvres
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/896888