HRs - Env - Access to Justice International Corporate Accountability Paper Pulp Mills Fray Bentos - Uruguay Experimental Corporate Accountability Advocacy Strategies and Litigation
Jan 13, 2016
HRs - Env - Access to Justice
International Corporate AccountabilityPaper Pulp Mills
Fray Bentos - Uruguay
Experimental Corporate Accountability Advocacy Strategies and Litigation
Argentina Uruguay
Rio
Uru
guay
Botnia
Ence
Principle Proponents(at first sight)
• Companies Botnia & ENCE• International Finance Corporation (IFC)• Uruguayan Government
(National and Local)• And then we found …
International Finance Corporation
Uruguay
After Investigation We Found:
International Finance Corporation
Gob. UruguayoPrivate Bank
Private Bank
MIGASpanish ECASpanish ECA
Private Bank
Int’l Org
Supplier
Finnish ECA
Banco Privado
Company
• Companies - Botnia/ENCE
• IFC
• MIGA
• Private Banks (ING / BBVA / Nordea / NIB, etc.)
• Finnvera (Finnish Export Credit Agency)
• CESCE & ICO (Spanish ECAs)
• Uruguayan Government (National and Local)
• Other Companies
Principal Oposition• Gualeguaychu Assembly (40,000 personas)
(Public/Business/NGOs)
• Select NGOs and Public in Uruguay • Argentine Government (National, Provincial and Municipal)• Uruguayan Prosecutor• Press• CEDHA
Gualeguaychu Assembly40,000 persons
Entre RíosGov
UruguayanNGOs
Argentine GovTaking to Bridge
What to do?
Possible Channels of Action• CAO• Inter-American Commission of Human Rights• European Commission for Violations to
European Citizens• Spanish/Finish Courts (Finnvera - ECA)• Criminal Actions in Argentina against CEOs• International Court of Justice - Hague• Legal Action in Uruguay• Equator Bank Compliance Claim (to BBVA and ING)
• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises• UN Human Rights Norms for Transnational
Corporations• UN Global Compact• Generally on Corporate Social Responsibility
Commitments
Int’l Court Justice
Int’l Human Rights Tribunal
Choice and Justifications for First Phase Advocacy
• Compliance Advisory Ombudsman– To uncover project irregularities and shortfalls– Gain advocacy legitimacy– Imminent Board Vote– Potential Favorable Audit and Opportune Moment to
Influence IFC
• Human Rights Commission– Political Attention– Experimental Legal Advocacy– Political Opportunity – Know How
Grounds of Action at CAO
• Violations to Environmental and Social Safeguards
• Violations to Disclosure Policy• Violations to International
Waterways Policy• Poor Stakeholder Consultation• Poor EIAs• Violations of International
Treaties• > Focuses on Obtaining Audits
Grounds of Action at IAHRC (for Responsibility of Uruguayan Gov. To Project)
• Right to Life• Right to Physical Integrity• Rights of the Child• Judicial Process• Progressive Realization of ESCR• Right to Health• Right to a Healthy Environment• Access to Information• Access to Justice
> We asked for Preventive Measures
Second Phase Advocacy
• Equator Principles (ING & BBVA)– Interesting Commitment from
Banks– Favorable CAO Audit = Key!– However, no compliant
mechanism (we created one!)
• Human Rights Compliance Complaint (Nordea)
– No mechanism Existed(we invented a complaint)
• Initiate ICJ Pressure• UN Norms• Increasing Social Movement
Advocacy • Intensification of Media Outreach• International NGO Outreach
Third Phase Advocacy
• Equator Principles (ING Pullout)– Advocacy Around Pullout
• Consolidate ICJ Complaint• OECD Complaints• Anti-ECA Advocacy• Continued Social Movement
Advocacy • Continued Media Outreach• Continued International NGO
Outreach
Private Bank
Spanish ECA
Finnish ECA
Exploratory StrategiesArticulation of Actions
IACHR Indep. Control Mechs
Social Movements
Human Rights
NGOs
Prvt Banks
IFIs
Safeguards
Others?
OECD -NCPs
CSR
Press
UN CAOWorld BankBoard
NationalGovernments
Companies