Today the non-profit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is launching its first regional briefing on “Business & human rights in Anglophone Africa – a round-up of recent developments.”
Download the nine-page briefing here.
The briefing provides a reality-based snapshot of business’ human rights impacts in the region. It highlights concerns raised by civil society, company responses to allegations of misconduct, positive initiatives by business, and developments in law, policy and lawsuits. Subjects in the briefing range from efforts in new oil economies such as Ghana and Uganda to avoid the “resource curse,” to a landmark ruling by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights regarding tourism and indigenous people in Kenya.
Abiola Okpechi, the Centre’s Anglophone Africa Researcher based in South Africa, said:
- “Every day we update our website with reports about companies and human rights in Africa, from sources ranging from local NGOs to international media. This short briefing steps back to look at key developments and trends. It also casts an eye forward to flag likely issues on the horizon, such as: Wal-Mart’s probable entry into South Africa; increasing uranium mining in Namibia; and the resource-related implications of the referendum in South Sudan.”
She added:
- “On my recent research missions to Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia I have been impressed by the work that civil society groups are doing on business & human rights. I have found that some companies still do not understand their human rights responsibilities; others are taking steps to assess and manage their impacts on human rights. These local voices are reflected in the issues we draw attention to in this briefing.”
Companies mentioned in this briefing:
AccorElf/TotalNewmontAgip/EniEricssonNH HotelsAnglo AmericanExxonMobilNNPCAngloGold AshantiFirestoneOlaniwun Ajayi LPArmstrongsFordRapaport Diamond Trading NetworkBarrick GoldGeneral MotorsRed Back Mining Best WesternHessRheinmetallCanadile MinersHiltonSABMillerCarlsonHyattSalini CostruttoriCartierIBMShellChevronIntercontinentalStarwoodCollum MineLahmeyerVanco EnergyCore MiningMarathonWal-MartDaimlerMarks & SpencerWilderness SafarisDe BeersMbada DiamondsZainDevonMicrosoftZimbabwe Mining Development Corp.DLHMTNEdward Nathan SonnenbergsNew Reclamation
To discuss the briefing, please contact Abiola Okpechi, Anglophone Africa Researcher & Representative, [email protected], or Greg Regaignon, Head of Research, [email protected].
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre tracks the human rights impacts (positive & negative) of 5000 companies in over 180 countries. The site is updated hourly and receives 1.5 million hits per month.
Mary Robinson chairs its 80-member International Advisory Network. Its 22 Academic Partners include leading institutes in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
The Centre has regional researchers based in five regions:
- Mayling Chan, East Asia Researcher, based in Hong Kong
- Aliou Diouf, Francophone Africa Researcher, based in Senegal
- Harpreet Kaur, South Asia Researcher, based in India
- Abiola Okpechi, Anglophone Africa Researcher, based in South Africa
- Ella Skybenko, Eastern Europe/Central Asia Researcher, based in Ukraine
We plan to recruit researchers based in Latin America and the Middle East later this year.
For further information about the Resource Centre, see the “About us” section of the website.
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Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a non-profit organization. In the United States we are a tax-exempt non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In England & Wales we are a Registered Charity, number 1096664.
