Quarterly Case Update of OECD Guidelines Cases filed by NGOs
The highlights of this Quarterly Case Update include new OECD Guidelines complaints filed against 2 cotton traders from the UK, 4 holding companies that finance Cameroonian palm oil plantation SOCAPALM, ArcelorMittal Liberia, and Royal Dutch Shell for making false, misleading and incomplete statements about incidents of sabotage to its operations in the Niger Delta. Specific Instances recently closed include the complaint against Triumph, the complaint against BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and Airbus and the lengthy case against BP for its involvement in the BTC Pipeline running through Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. read more lessrelated content
Urgent need for EU legislative action to keep European surveillance tech out of Iran
As Iran rages with protests for democracy and human rights, camera surveillance has become one of the primary tools used by Iran’s authoritarian regime to identify opponents and oppress the population. Against the backdrop of…
Caught on camera: How CCTV tech contributes to human rights abuse in Iran
Setting the record straight
Groups react with dismay to FMO’s position statement on Financial Intermediaries, pointing to outstanding human rights and climate concerns
On October 13th 2022, FMO published the final version of its Position Statement on Impact and ESG for Financial Intermediaries (FI statement). As civil society groups which have engaged with FMO on this topic for…
A piece, not a proxy
Industry schemes must not be part of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive
The European Commission’s proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence includes a dangerous overreliance on industry schemes, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and third-party auditing, a briefing paper by SOMO concludes. Publication / November 25, 2022…
SOMO welcomes game-changing Dutch bill on mandatory due diligence
The ‘Bill on Responsible and Sustainable International Business Conduct’, submitted to the Dutch Parliament on Tuesday by six Dutch political parties is set to be a game changer in the field of corporate accountability. SOMO…
Telenor and civil society move forward in mediation over digital security of Myanmar citizens
Telenor and 474 civil society organizations from Myanmar, represented by SOMO, have reached a preliminary agreement in an ongoing mediation process related to the Norwegian telecoms operator’s rushed exit from Myanmar in 2021. The memorandum…
EU and UN instruments must work in tandem to guarantee justice
The UN Treaty aimed at regulating the activities of transnational corporations and other businesses (also commonly referred to as the Legally Binding Instrument, or LBI), and the proposed EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence…
Independent research confirms FMO’s responsibility for destruction caused by Barro Blanco dam, recommends compensation
Dutch development bank FMO bears responsibility for the destruction of livelihoods, economic losses and environmental damage caused by the construction of the Barro Blanco dam in Panama, according to a report by the bank’s Independent…