Ministers from OECD and developing economies will today agree new guidelines to promote more responsible business conduct by multinational enterprises, and a second set of guidance to limit the use of conflict minerals. Forty-two countries will commit to new, tougher standards of corporate behaviour in the updated Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: [...]

Falungong members are suing Cisco Systems for custom-building “Golden Shield” internet technology used by China to track down devotees of the spiritual movement. Cisco dismissed the case on Monday as being without basis and vowed to “vigorously defend” itself. A lawsuit filed in US federal court in the northern California city [...]

Companies have taken steps, but exploitation remains widespread. Big garment brands and retailers have their products made under exploitative and unhealthy conditions by girls in Tamil Nadu, South India. The girls, mostly younger than 18 and from a Dalit (‘outcaste’) background are employed under the Sumangali Scheme. In its worst form, this employment scheme stands [...]

Puma is the first company in the world to put a value on the ecosystem services it uses to produce its sports shoes and clothes. In a huge leap for CSR, the company has published an economic valuation of the environmental impacts caused by greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and water consumption along its entire supply [...]

The U.S. Justice Departments is reportedly working on a case against HSBC bankers they say have laundered money from Mexican drug gangs. Still at the beginning of the investigation, the Justice Department is building its case against the bank. The investigation began in August of 2010, when the Office of the Comptroller [...]

A collaboration between the UN and Google presents information on the state of the world’s poverty and development in graphics. Working with Google the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has come up with an ingenious tool for plotting and understanding human development indicators across the world. Using Google Public Date Explorer technology it is now [...]

Certaines organisations de la société civile de la RDC oeuvrant dans le domaine des ressources naturelles à savoir la Nouvelle Dynamique Syndicale(NDS) la Ligue Congolaise de lutte contre la Corruption (LICOCO)Action contre l’impunité et les Droits Humains(ACIDH)la Commission Episcopale pour les ressources naturelles (CERN/CENCO) et Ressources Naturelles et Développement (RND) ont estimé qu’il était impérieux [...]

Philip Morris International’s public commitment on May 9, 2011 to protect the rights of tobacco workers in its global supply chain is an important first step, Human Rights Watch said today. Rigorous independent monitoring will be crucial to realizing full protections for workers, Human Rights Watch said. Philip Morris International (PMI), [...]

En septembre 2007, un accord « ressources contre infrastructures » de grande ampleur a été signé entre deux entreprises publiques chinoises de travaux publics et la compagnie d’État productrice de cuivre de la République démocratique du Congo. L’accord, d’une valeur supérieure au budget de l’État congolais, était à l’époque le plus important de ce type [...]

A new California lawsuit accuses Apple, Google, Adobe Systems, Intel, and other tech companies of violating antitrust laws by allegedly conspiring to fix employee pay, as well as working out “no solicitation” deals with one another. The suit (PDF), which seeks class action status, was filed today with the California Superior Court in Alameda County [...]