Weekly Update 10 April
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
We advance human rights in business. We track over 10,000 companies, and help the vulnerable eradicate abuse.
LEAD STORY
New York Times; The Guardian, +972Mag?
The use of AI technologies in war and conflict zones could be breaching?humanitarian law and human rights, according to research?from 2 new?reports.
The New York Times reported on an expansive facial recognition programme being used?in Gaza, run by Israel’s military intelligence unit. The system relies on technology from Corsight, a private Israeli company, intelligence officers interviewed for the report alleged. It also uses Google Photos, they added. Combined, the AI technologies of both companies enable Israel to pick faces out of crowds and grainy drone footage.?According to the report, the programme aims to identify wanted individuals and Hamas members, sparking concerns over privacy rights and potential misidentifications amid?the ongoing conflict.?Three of those?with knowledge of the facial recognition programme said they were speaking out because of concerns?it was a misuse of time and resources by Israel.?Corsight declined to comment for the article. A Google?spokesman said Google?Photos was a free consumer product that “does not provide identities for unknown people in photographs”.
Another?report by +972Mag, covered by the Guardian, revealed?Israel's use of the AI system Lavender in its bombing campaign in Gaza. The?previously undisclosed AI-powered database?allegedly?identified 37,000 potential targets based on their apparent links to Hamas, according to testimony from Israeli intelligence officers. Lavender, reportedly developed by the IDF,?raises concerns regarding humanitarian law, as intelligence sources outlined its role in airstrikes leading to civilian casualties.
FROM US
Johannes Blankenbach & Saskia Wilks, BHRRC
The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (the Act), which came into force just over a year ago, legally requires large German companies to address harms to workers, communities, and the environment related to their own operations and supply chains. However, in deviation from UN and OECD standards, it requires “substantiated knowledge” of possible abuse as a trigger for due diligence beyond tier 1 of the supply chain. In seeking to unpick how the concept can be most effectively applied, we analyse our own data and conclude “substantiated knowledge” must not be applied narrowly. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) will then be key to substantively enhancing alignment with?international standards, as well as promoting?a?level playing field within the EU and convergence among existing national due diligence rules?in Europe.
INTERNATIONAL
Scroll.in; Kyunghyang Shinmun
UK fishing companies are hiring seafarers or deckhands from outside the country, and outside the EU, for as little as a third of the cost?of British crewmen. Under the transit-visa system, holders are permitted a 48-hour window to pass through UK?territories. This means once they are on board, seafarers are no longer governed by the UK’s employment laws and immigration controls, a legal loophole used by fishing companies, boat owners?and skippers to exploit and abuse migrant workers, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation. Furthermore, some seafarers are falling foul of immigration officials when ships dock;?facing detention, deportation and UK working bans.?
See also; South Korean Ministry of Oceans and?Fisheries calls for improvements to address migrant fishermen rights violations.
AFRICA
The Guardian; Reuters
Rio Tinto?is facing a likely lawsuit in an English court brought by?UK-based law firm Leigh Day on behalf of people living in villages near a mine operated by the company’s subsidiary QIT Madagascar Minerals?(QMM). In a letter of claim the villagers accused?Rio Tinto?of contaminating the waterways and lakes they use for domestic purposes with elevated and harmful levels of uranium and lead, which pose a serious risk to human health.
A Rio Tinto spokesperson said, “QMM operates in a highly sensitive area from a water and broader environmental perspective…We are committed to working to address any specific issues that community members raise, and to engaging in constructive dialogue on how we can mitigate impacts of our operations while generating tangible and sustainable benefits for our host communities.”
See also; Rio Tinto's shareholders raised environmental concerns associated with its Simandou iron ore project in Guinea and QMM?Madagascar mineral sands operation?at its annual meeting on 4 April.
GroundUp
Bongani Nkosi, Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) coordinator, said blasting for excavation is affecting the homes and health of people in the area. They want a civil engineering audit to assess structural damage to their homes. Nkosi said, “The mine is very close to our homes and many residents have experienced cracks and damage, which can pose a risk.” He added, “We are demanding a comprehensive medical screening programme for community members who have contracted respiratory-related diseases.”?
In an email, Seriti?stated it “is a socially responsible corporate citizen and remains compliant with the conditions of its mining rights and has gone beyond compliance on several issues”. It added, “The company is committed to fostering trust and collaboration with its communities and all other stakeholders.”
THISDAY
The Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria called on the National Assembly to start a legislative process to hold?international oil companies operating in Nigeria?accountable?for the environmental and human right abuses they have caused, before they can divest from the country. They also called for the establishment of an environmental restoration fund?to tackle issues?caused by?pollution.
AMERICAS
Mexico: Coffee farmers accuse Nestlé of a ruthless purchasing policy,?driving child labour & poverty
Public Eye
Farmers allege Nestlé is keeping coffee bean prices low?despite increasing market rates?leading to?widespread child labour, with many families falling into poverty. They say the low prices have?devastating consequences, ranging from insufficient healthcare through lack of educational opportunities to seasonal food insecurity.
Nestlé?said in response, “Under the Nescafé Plan, we pay a premium price for responsibly sourced coffee. Coffee prices are subject to supply and demand and are set on the open marketplace.”
The Guardian
La Guajira,?Colombia’s second-poorest state, is at the forefront of?government?efforts to develop renewable energy sources and reduce the country's dependency on oil and coal to tackle the climate crisis. The renewables sector could see?investments reach USD2.2b this year – La Guajira has?17 renewable energy projects?in development, with plans for dozens more to follow. However, severe delays have led several companies to?scrap?their plans altogether. Italian energy company Enel?announced last?May?it was?“indefinitely suspending”?construction of its 200MW Windpeshi project, while Colombia’s Celsia?is?contemplating the sale?of its 2 stalled projects in La Guajira.
Resistance from Indigenous communities is one of the causes of the delays to the region’s windfarms, says Aníbal Mercado, head of the regional Wayúu council. He blames the failure by companies and the government to enter into dialogue with local people and understand the complexities of La Guajira. “The rights of the communities have been violated,” he?added.
Reuters
An environmental community group has sued Stronghold Digital Mining Inc, claiming the company, which burns waste coal and old tyres to produce the large amounts of?energy required for bitcoin mining, is polluting communities near its mine in northeastern Pennsylvania, with dangerous chemicals. Save Carbon County?said Stronghold has created a public and private nuisance by releasing mercury into waterways and spewing harmful chemicals like sulphur dioxide into the air. The group, whose members live near the bitcoin mine, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from the company.
A Stronghold spokesperson said its operations clean up land and water in the area by using waste coal left behind by historic coal production in the region. "Stronghold’s facilities have cleaned up millions of tons of waste coal and reclaimed over 1,050 acres of once-blighted land, now sports fields, parks, and fishing spots for local communities.”
ASIA & PACIFIC
KBC, Yonhap News
领英推荐
The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service case recognised the “risks of unsafe work environments on a foetus after employees who worked at Samsung Electronics during their pregnancy claimed their children’s congenital diseases should be covered by workplace accident compensation”. The committee concluded that “the cases of 3?women who worked as operators at the chipmaker should be acknowledged as industrial accidents”.
We invited Samsung Electronics?to respond to the ruling; it did not respond.
LICADHO
Koet Saray, President of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA), was sent to pre-trial detention by the Phnom Penh Capital Court on 6 April. The charges relate to ongoing land conflicts in Preah Vihear province. Supporters have called on the Phnom Penh Capital Court to drop all charges and free human rights and environmental defender Saray immediately and without any conditions, and to open the space for freedom of expression to all Cambodians who work for social justice.
Access Now
An investigation by Access Now and Global Witness found YouTube?is approving ads purporting baseless allegations of electoral fraud, lies about voting procedures, and attacks on the integrity of the electoral process. The 48 ads submitted to YouTube in 3?official Indian languages -?English, Hindi?and Telugu - contained content explicitly prohibited by YouTube’s elections misinformation policies. Despite YouTube’s policy to review ad content before it can run, the platform approved every single ad for publication.
In response to the investigation, Google, as YouTube's parent company, said its?enforcement process has multiple layers to ensure ads comply, and that ads that pass an initial check can still be blocked or removed by enforcement systems if they violate Google’s policies.
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA
Reuters
A Paris court has dismissed?TotalEnergies’ lawsuit against Greenpeace France which alleged?the CSO had issued a publication containing 'false and misleading information' about the firm. The 2022 Greenpeace publication accused the French energy giant of emitting four times more climate-warming gases through its operations and products in 2019 than officially reported. The court dismissed TotalEnergies'?case on the ground the?accusations contained in the CSO's report were too broad to be examined by the court. A?TotalEnergies?statement said the company was taking note of the court ruling and?considering its options. Greenpeace France described the ruling as a ‘snub’ for TotalEnergies and ‘a victory for freedom of speech’.
Reuters
Milan public prosecutors said their “investigations uncovered irregular practices so deeply rooted and established, that they can be considered part of a wider business growth strategy.” Police found Chinese and Pakistani migrants, often with no legal papers, forced to eat and sleep in?factories in degrading conditions?while?employed without any work contracts. Workers used machinery with safety devices “purposely and maliciously removed”, were exposed to potentially dangerous chemical substances, and were denied medical examinations or training, the court ruling added.
The judges in Milan ordered a one-year receivership for Giorgio Armani Operations, described as an industrial arm of the Armani Group. During this period, the company will continue operating, but under a court-appointed administrator. Armani Group said in a statement it had “always had control and prevention measures in place to minimise abuses in the supply chain,” adding it would work with the authorities to clarify its position.
The Guardian
Strict conditions on agricultural and care visas created after Britain left the EU expose workers to “hyper-precarity” and increase their vulnerability to exploitation, a study by a coalition of leading universities and charities has concluded.?Workers on the schemes faced significant issues of?debt and deductions from wages?because of illegal recruitment fees as well as costs incurred from travel, training, accommodation and high visa charges. Migrant workers’ vulnerability to exploitation was compounded by the UK's "hostile environment" policy?as fears of immigration enforcement action deterred them from reporting mistreatment or exploitation to the authorities, the study found.
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
Arab Reform Initiative
Like the Gulf, migrant domestic work in Lebanon operates under an exploitative Kafala system. In addition to restrictive migration regulations, domestic workers – Lebanese and foreigners alike – are excluded from?Lebanese labour law, leaving this already isolated group of workers vulnerable to exploitation. The Anti-Racism Movement (ARM), a grassroots feminist organisation advocating for migrant workers’ rights and solidarity in Lebanon, has published a report documenting efforts by migrant domestic workers to organise for their rights over the past 40 years. Addressing exclusionary practices is a central demand, particularly concerning labour rights such as the absence of a minimum wage for migrant domestic workers.?
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In the realm of #BizHumanRights, the ethical use of AI reminds us of Plato's reflection on technology and morality - how pivotal it is for innovation to align with ethical standards. Engaging responsibly and ethically is not just good practice; it’s a testament to a brand’s legacy. ???
Photographer.Ste?ci in medieval Bosnia & Herzegovina at Google maps.
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