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| International |
| Business ’must face UN scrutiny’ |
| 2003-08-14 |
| A United Nations panel of experts says the UN should have the power to investigate and censure multi-national companies involved in human rights abuses. The UN sub-commission for the promotion and protection of human rights has adopted a draft code of conduct which could lead to large firms facing similar obligations as governments. BBC business reporter Mark Gregory says the UN wants the power to tackle issues such as bad working conditions for employees in poor countries, or instances where firms run roughshod over local communities when building new plants and pipelines. So if you don’t want Wal-Mart building a store in your town, you can go complain to the UN. Most controversially, our correspondent says, the body wants corporations to submit regular reports to the UN and to accept independent monitoring on human rights. Arvind Ganesan, of Human Rights Watch, said it was an important step forward in developing human rights standards for corporations. "The norms help to level the playing field for companies that want to do the right thing for human rights. "level the playing field" means punishing sucessful companies. Now every company’s obligations are detailed and no company can say that it doesn’t have responsibilities in the area of human rights." The sub-commission called on governments and individuals to submit information to its working group on any breach or violation of human rights that might be put down to the activities of big global corporations. The anti-global socialist protest types will love this one. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #11 OP, can you give us the short version? :-) |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-8-14 10:15:24 PM |
| #10 RE: Great UN Locations. I vote for Easter Island. It'll take a year just to get a message to the US from there! I also believe that all UN personnel should be segregated from the local populace, and moved to the southeast end of the island (anyone knowing the history of Easter Island will immediately understand. The rest, read Thor Heyerdahl's "Aku, Aku"). It's time to pull the plug on Kofi and his henchmen, including the nasty-mouthed de-villian from the swamps of Versailles. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-8-14 8:22:18 PM |
| #9 What this looks like is a sly way of getting US to pay for UN operations.If US Govt. won't give UN all the money the UN asks for,the UN will cut out "middleman" and tax(fine) American companies directly. If I was into conspiracy theories,I'd say this is the new strategy of the international bureacratic elites opposed to American power.We have the EU trying to fine Microsoft and now the UN stating it has the authority to regulate any business.If the assumption is granted UN can regulate a corporation's business affairs outside its home country,why then couldn't UN regulate a corporation's labor,etc. policies in corp.'s home country?In other words,if UN gets power to oversee Nike's business practices in Malaysia,UN will logically be able to claim same power to oversee Ford's business practices in Michigan. |
| Posted by: Stephen 2003-8-14 5:00:39 PM |
| #8 The hypocrisy is astounding.We've just had the UN Human Rights Commission refuse all cooperation with Reporters Without Borders because the unruly NGO criticized HRC's own record on human rights.The HRC member list looks like a Who's Who of Mass Murderers.The only question now is,who'll lead the new organization?Robert Mugabe?Colonel Gaddafi?Or maybe Vladimir Putin would like the job - he has a lot of experience in dealing with big business. |
| Posted by: El Id 2003-8-14 4:56:30 PM |
| #7 If they plan now, the new MNCHRA (MultiNational Corp Human Rights Abuses) bureaucracy can be part of the new waterfront UN building complex in Toronto. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-8-14 2:17:20 PM |
| #6 Great UN locations: Liberia, no parking tickets. Bagdad, It'll be a riot. Saudi Arabia, It'll be a wild party with white robes. Tehran, It'll be a party in brown robes. The west bank, That'll fix it. Seoul, We could go home. Cuba, soups on. Pyongyang, easy access for weapons inspecters. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-8-14 1:12:48 PM |
| #5 This might actually work to our benefit. See how many help desks move to India, textile jobs to Mexico and Asia, etc. when companies are forced to provide higher wages, better benefits, and are forced to adhere to local regs or UN human rights standards in foreign countries. They already have to do it here and the return on their buck from the productivity and reliability side is probably better. Once the UN realizes it, they will drop this like it's on fire. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-8-14 1:10:27 PM |
| #4 On a certain level I like this idea. I'll like it even better when the UN shows that it can effectively regulate its own internal affairs. I'm not holding my breath. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-8-14 12:42:44 PM |
| #3 Can we please talk about leaving the UN and making this rathole of communists move to some other country? They don't want to preserve civilization and civility. They only want to extoll barbarism and hatred. They are an institutional used tampon. Throw them out! Okay, I can wait until Bill is SecGen, but then, they really have to go, Bill and all. |
| Posted by: badanov 2003-8-14 11:41:30 AM |
| #2 Now let's see if I've got this down correctly? The UN wants to establish a completly new and (fairly) large component within its organization. This new component will, by "necessity," have to be staffed by thousands of new employees, of course. This new component will, also by "necessity," have censure power over multi-billion $$ corporations around the world, corporations who are already used to paying to get what they want and need. Ah, now I get it? It's a perfect environment in which the UN and its officials can make a "little extra" $$ on the side. Why not? Those UN officials in charge of the Iraq oil program did so, as did countless UN officials involved with other programs. However, the one on the table is FAR bigger ($$) than the others. And, of course, this high $$ level would definately warrant the involvement of a recently talked about UN want-to-be and near-broke ex-US Pres., correct? Uncle Bill, will you be there when the UN needs you? LVK |
| Posted by: LVK (C-1-18 1ID RVN) 2003-8-14 10:15:37 AM |
| #1 Deathmatch: Kofi vs. Kathie Lee--just what I've been waiting to see! |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-8-14 9:39:17 AM |