Surveillance Capitalism

Investors Support Swiss Corporate “Due Diligence” Legislation

June 12, 2019

The Ethos Foundation, an organization seeking to support “socially responsible investment,” and a group of institutional investors have called on the lower house of the Swiss Parliament to support legislation imposing “mandatory human rights due diligence” obligations on Swiss businesses.
NGO Coalition Accuses Companies of Ignoring “Living Wage” Pledges

June 12, 2019

The nongovernmental organization coalition called the Clean Clothes Campaign is criticizing major clothing brands for “violating internationally recognized human rights norms” by failing to fulfill pledges to ensure workers in their global garment supply chains receive a “living wage.”
Dutch Banking Initiative Issues BHR Guidance on Remedies

June 12, 2019

Participants in the Dutch Banking Sector Agreement on business and human rights (BHR) issues have released guidance for banks, based on the UN Guiding Principles on BHR, on providing remedies for alleged human rights violations to which they are linked through client relationships.
EU Agency Demands Improved Data Quality for AI

June 12, 2019

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has published a “focus paper” calling on businesses to improve data quality in artificial intelligence technologies to protect a range of fundamental rights, including to privacy, non-discrimination, and gender equality.
FIFA, UN Agree Gender Equality Partnership

June 10, 2019

UN Women and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) have signed a memorandum of understanding in which they agree to work together to ease access to soccer for women, to use sporting events to combat discrimination, and “to disseminate diverse sports content to promote gender equality.”
World Bank Issues “Sustainable” Bond on Food Waste

June 05, 2019

New Sustainable Development Bonds issued by the World Bank and finance company Okasan Securities to fund projects aimed at combating food waste illustrate the growing ecosystem of such green financial instruments seeking to implement the UN’s broad “sustainable development” agenda.
Fashion Brands Agree to Implement Short-Term Contract Ruling

June 05, 2019

Reuters reports that global fashion brands Levi’s, H&M, and Gap have agreed to attempt to force one of their suppliers to implement a ruling by an arbitration council requiring the supplier to replace the short-term contracts it had struck with 408 workers in Cambodia with permanent arrangements.
South Africa Introduces Carbon Tax to Meet UN Climate Pledges

June 05, 2019

The saga of South Africa’s attempt to introduce a tax on greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately enacted at the end of May to help the country meet its pledges under the UN’s Paris climate deal, highlights producer concerns about the impacts of such taxes on energy prices.
Report Criticizes Garment Companies’ Efforts Toward “Living Wage”

June 05, 2019

Researchers from the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute have published a report alleging that companies in the garment industry are failing to meet pledges to ensure workers in their supply chains receive a “living wage” and criticizing the “outsourcing” of these efforts to external initiatives.
NGOs Force FIFA’s Hand on Expansion of 2022 World Cup

June 03, 2019

Human Rights Watch has published a press release celebrating the International Federation of Association Football’s (FIFA) decision to halt plans to expand its 2022 World Cup tournament beyond Qatar to neighboring countries following an activist campaign declaring such a move inconsistent with FIFA’s human rights commitments.