Swedwatch - evenemang

Corporate accountability for international crimes and the right to remedy

Swedwatch — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:52:26 +0100

Tid: 2024-11-25, 13:15 – 14:30 CET
Plats: Online

During the 13th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, Nov 2024, Swedwatch arranged a hybrid event together with PAX.

It was an informal side event about frictions between the human rights responsibilities of companies under the UNGPs, the right to remedy for victims of gross human rights abuses, and the practice of holding corporations to account for international crimes through criminal justice.

In recent years, efforts to ensure criminal accountability of corporate actors for international atrocity crimes have increased. Criminal prosecution of corporate actors who have caused or contributed to gross human rights abuses and/or international atrocity crimes is considered an important facet of the access to remedy for victims. However, the practice of criminal prosecution of corporate actors is marred with obstacles to the realization of this right to remedy.

The panelists reflected on these tensions by diving into the landmark war crimes trial against former executives of Swedish oil company Lundin, as well as other cases.

Introduction and moderation
Anita Ramasastry, Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law, and former Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights

Speakers
Rev. James Ninrew Kuong Deng, Plaintiff in the Lundin war crimes trial and Chair of Leech Victims Voices, representing South Sudanese communities affected by war crimes

Tara Van Ho, Senior Lecturer at Essex Law School and Human Rights Centre

Olof Björnsson, Senior Researcher at Swedwatch, author of Fuel for Conflict about the role of institutional investors in the Lundin case

Egbert Wesselink, PAX, lead author of Unpaid Debt, The Legacy of Lundin, Petronas and OMV in Block 5A, Sudan 1997 - 2003

Link to watch the event:

Due diligence in the garment sector – public procurement as the missing multiplier for decent work?

Swedwatch — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:35:48 +0100

Tid: 2024-02-19, 12:45 – 14:15 CET
Plats: Online

Join Swedwatch´s webinar on Due diligence in the garment sector – public procurement as the missing multiplier for decent work?

On Monday, February 19, 2024, Swedwatch is hosting a side session as part of the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector 2024, Paris and online.

Public procurement has sometimes been described as ‘the missing multiplier’ for sustainable development. In OECD countries, public procurement represents around 12% of the total GDP, showing its significant purchasing power. While garments are important products for public authorities to procure to deliver quality services to their communities, reports of adverse human rights impacts in garment supply chains remain widespread. For example, wages earned in many garment-exporting countries persistently fall below a living wage, resulting in an ongoing struggle for the workers to make ends meet for their families.

This webinar will explore the role of public contracting authorities in closing the living wage gap and improving working conditions in global garment supply chains. By building on the experience of academics, public contracting authorities in Sweden and factory owners and workers in Bangladesh, the panel will discuss how public buyers can integrate and effectively monitor human rights due diligence requirements in their procurement practices and how governments can unlock the full potential of public procurers as actors for positive change.

Moderator of the session: Lena Diesing, Policy Analyst, OECD

Panellists:

Laura Trevino-Lozano, Researcher, University of Greenwich
Nazma Akter, Executive Director Awaj Foundation & President of the Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation
Nikolaj Villumsen, Member of the left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL
Pauline Göthberg, National Co-ordinator, Swedish Regions National Secretariat for Sustainable Public Procurement
Rubana Huq, Chairperson of Mohammadi Group & the immediate past President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association

Event at the 12th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva - Just Transition in Energy and Extractives Industries

Swedwatch — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:46:16 +0100

Tid: 2023-11-27, 15:00 – 16:20 CET
Plats: Geneva and online

On the 27th of Nov 2023 Swedwatch co-organized an event that was part of the main sessions at the 12th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva.

The session was co-organized by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Fair Finance Asia, Permanent Mission of Switzerland, Australian Human Rights Institute at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Business and Human Rights Centre at the University of Geneva, and Swedwatch, with the support of the Danish Institute of Human Rights and the Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The session consisted of two parts of dialogues with different speakers. The first dialogue provided an overview of key environmental and human rights challenges faced by rights holders in the processes of energy transition. It further provided insights on measures to protect both substantive and procedural rights of indigenous people and local communities.

The second dialogue sheded light on the important roles of states and business enterprises in applying a rights-based approach to the energy transition through examples of human rights and environmental due diligence practices that safeguard inclusive and just energy transition.

Link to the recording of the event

Read more about the event here:
https://forumbhr2023.sched.com...

Speakers:
Damilola Olawuyi
Chairperson, Working Group on business and human rights

Muhammad Al Amin
Executive Director, WALHI South Sulawesi

Alancay Morales Garro
Lead on Business and Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples Rights International

Joel Frijhoff
Sustainable Supply Chain Manager, Orsted

Innocence Ntap N’diaye
President, Haut Conseil du Dialogue Social du Sénégal

Justine Nolan
Director, Australian Institute for Human Rights, UNSW Sydney

Moderator:
Yayoi Fujita Lagerqvist
Program Officer, Swedwatch

More information about the event:
https://forumbhr2023.sched.com/event/1OrgH/just-transition-in-energy-and-extractives-industries?linkback=grid

Corporate restructuring vs right to remedy for victims in light of the ongoing Lundin war crimes trial - panel discussion during the 12th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva

Swedwatch — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:41:14 +0100

Tid: 2023-11-28, 11:45 – 13:00 CET
Plats: Hybrid / Geneva and online

At Tue Nov 28, 2023 Swedwatch was co-hosting a live streamed event where a panel of experts discussed legal and ethical aspects of corporate restructuring and its impact on the right to remedy.

Questions addressed included whether a business breaches its human rights responsibility when it causes or contributes to the denial of remedies by another actor, and if it contributes to the denial of remedies through the acquisition of another business.

Discussions were build on the ongoing landmark Lundin war crimes trial, that began in September in Stockholm, where former Lundin Oil executives Ian Lundin and Alex Schneiter are accused of aiding and abetting war crimes during Sudan's 1997-2003 oil war. Victims of these crimes have yet to receive any form of redress.

Panelists:

Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington, former chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights

Tara van Ho, University of Essex, business and human rights expert

Olof Björnsson, Swedwatch, author of "Fuel for Conflict" about the role of institutional investors in the Lundin case

Egbert Wesselink, PAX, lead author of the 2010 report "Unpaid Debt" that led to the judicial investigation

Moderator:

Salil Tripathi, senior advisor at the Institute for Human Rights and Business

Link to the event.

The event was organised by Swedwatch and PAX and took place during the 12th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva.

Swedwatch/EEB/ClientEarth webinar on Sustainable Public Procurement – identified barriers and the way forward

Swedwatch — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 10:07:55 +0100

Tid: 2023-11-24, 10:00 – 12:00 CET
Plats: On line

Together with Client Earth and EEB (European Environmental Bureau), Swedwatch arranged a webinar on Sustainable Public Procurement on the 24th Nov 2023.

The webinar focused on practical experiences in Stockholm and Barcelona with regard to sustainable public procurement and addressed potential legal issues public buyers may encounter.

Two fundamental questions drove the discussion:

How to unleash the potential for sustainable public procurement by integrating both environmental and social dimensions?
Is the current European policy framework conducive for sustainable public procurement?

Agenda:
• Welcome remarks – ClientEarth, EEB and Swedwatch

• Different perspectives of challenges to achieving sustainable public procurement
1. Stockholm case study - Stockholm Regional Council: Linda Scott Jakobsson, Sustainability Strategist, Region Stockholm
2. Barcelona case study - City of Barcelona: Carla Canal Rosich, Policy Co ordinator, Directorate of Global Justice and International Cooperation
3. The Future of EU Public Procurement Law: What Needs to Change for Sustainability? Willem Janssen, Professor of Public Procurement Law, Utrecht University, Groningen University

• The discussion was led by moderator Sofia Käll, Programme Officer, responsilbe for Swedwatch´s work on public procurement

The 10th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development: Financing and Safeguarding a Just Transition in Asia

Swedwatch — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 17:26:18 +0200

Tid: 2023-03-23 00:00 CET
Plats: Bangkok, Thailand

Fair Finance Asia, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (UNOHCHR), and Swedwatch together with Stockholm Environment Institute Asia organised a side event on 29 March 2023 in Bangkok Thailand, at the 10^th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD): titled, "Financing and Safeguarding a Just Energy Transition in Asia: Trends and future pathways for a just and inclusive transition to a zero-carbon economy."

Through moderated dialogue, the event aimed to highlight the importance of duty bearers including States and business actors to adopt environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive energy transition in the Asia Pacific Region to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global temperature rise as well as achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event was attended by representatives of States, civil society organisations, private sector, journalists, students, and other actors.

Participants:

-Dr. Pichamon Yeophanthong, the Chair of UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
-Bernadette Victorio, Programme Lead, Oxfam/Fair Finance Asia
-Parimita Mohanty, Programme Manager, UNEP
-Thanida Laseriwanich, Senior Analyst, Bank of Thailand
-Pianporn Deetes, Regional Campaigns and Communications Director, International Rivers
-Katia Chirizzi, Deputy Representative of the UNOHCHR Regional Office for South-East Asia
-Yayoi Lagerqvist, facilitator, Program Officer, Swedwatch

Stockholm50: Safeguarding the Right to a Healthy Environment: Roles of defenders and business actors

Swedwatch — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 09:46:18 +0200

Tid: 2022-06-03 00:00 CEST
Plats: Stockholm50, Älvsjömässan

Swedwatch arrangerade ett sidoevent i samband med högnivåmötet Stockholm50 som ägde rum på Älvsjömässan 2-3 juni 2022: Safeguarding the Right to a Healthy Environment: Roles of defenders and business actors

Syftet med eventet, där deltagarna också bidrog till innehållet, var att tydliggöra vilket ansvar stater och företag har när det gäller att säkerställa rätten till en trygg, ren, hälsosam och hållbar miljö. Eventet visade också på den fundamentala roll som mänskliga rättigheter och miljörättsförsvarare spelar för att uppnå detta, och det behov som finns av konkreta åtgärder för att skydda människorättsförsvarare så att de kan verka utan att utsättas för hot, hat, våld och trakasserier. Utgångspunkten för diskussionen var den resolution om ”Right to a healthy environment” som antogs av FN:s råd för mänskliga rättigheter i oktober 2021.

Deltagare:
-Jennifer del Rosario-Malonzo, Executive Director, IBON International, Filippinerna
-Radiatu H.S. Kahnplaye, Head of Administration and Finance at Green Advocates International (GAI), Policy Advisor for the Natural Resources Women Platform in Liberia.
-David Boyd, FN:s specialrapportör för mänskliga rättigheter och miljö
-Charlotta Szczepanowski, chef hållbarhet och kvalitet, Coop Sverige
-Yayoi Lagerqvist, moderator, Swedwatch, researcher med fokus på naturresurser

Medarrangörer: Afrikagrupperna, Amnesty International, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, Centro de Alternativas al Desarrollo (CEALDES, Colombia), ForumCiv, Green Advocates (Liberia), IBON International (Filipppinerna), Latinamerikagrupperna, Svenska Naturskyddsföreningen och We Effect

Webinar: How can procurement contribute to reduced emissions from the pharma industry?

Swedwatch — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Tid: 2021-11-25 00:00 CET
Plats:

In collaboration with the Swedish National Agency for Public Procurement, Swedwatch was arranging a series of webinars in the autumn of 2021 with the purpose of raising awareness among procurers on environmental and human rights risks in global supply chains. The third and last event, held on the 25th of Nov 2021, focused on the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and what procuring authorities can do to mitigate risks.

Webbinarium: Hållbarhetsrisker vid upphandling – pandemin & textilindustrin

Swedwatch — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Tid: 2021-10-21 00:00 CEST
Plats:

Många varor som köps in av offentlig sektor tillverkas i länder med bristande miljöskydd. Det finns också en risk att produktionen av varorna orsakat negativ påverkan på mänskliga rättigheter, och framställts under svåra arbetsvillkor.

För att öka kunskapen om vilka risker som är associerade med upphandlingen av olika produktgrupper, arrangerade Swedwatch, tillsammans med Upphandlingsmyndigheten, en temabaserad webbinarieserie under hösten 2021. Det andra webbinariet ägde rum den 21 oktober och berörde Covid-19-pandemins inverkan på globala leverantörskedjor, med textilproduktionen som exempel.

Webbinarium: Hållbarhetsrisker vid upphandling av elektronikprodukter

Swedwatch — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0200

Tid: 2021-09-21 00:00 CEST
Plats:

För att öka kunskapen om vilka risker som är associerade med upphandlingen av olika produktgrupper, arrangerade Swedwatch, tillsammans med Upphandlingsmyndigheten, en temabaserad webbinarieserie under hösten 2021. Den 21 september var temat hälsovådliga kemikalier vid produktionen av elektronikprodukter.

Webbinarium: Möjligt att främja ansvarsfull utvinning av mineraler genom offentlig upphandling

Swedwatch — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0100

Tid: 2021-01-28 00:00 CET
Plats:

Swedwatch arrangerade ett webbinarium i januari 2021 där vi undersökte möjligheter, behov och utmaningar för hur upphandlande myndigheter inom EU kan inkludera sociala kriterier i sina upphandlingskontrakt för att stödja ansvarsfull utvinning av metaller som finns i elektronik.

Det finns mer än 60 metaller i en smartphone och metallerna utvinns över hela världen. På många ställen är utvinning förknippad med allvarlig negativ påverkan på mänskliga rättigheter, såsom barnarbete, finansiering av väpnad konflikt, föroreningar och farliga arbetsförhållanden.

Genom en presentation om Region Stockholms arbete och krav och en paneldiskussion som även inkluderade experter från Stavanger kommun och Barcelona stad, fick åhörarna vet mer om hur kriterier gällande mineraler kan formuleras och följas upp, baserat på OECD:s vägledning om gällande mineraler från konfliktdrabbade länder och högriskområden.

Utmaningar togs också upp, såsom låg transparens och spårbarhet i mineralledet, vilket gör upphandlande myndigheter är beroende av branschstandarder och modeller för efterlevnad. Deltagarna lärde sig också mer om fördelarna och begränsningarna med Responsible Mineral Initiative:s program som utvärderar smältverks system för human rights due diligence* och fick en översikt över de mest påtagliga problemen som finns i gruvsektorn, med presentation från organistionen Catapa.

Webinariet finansierades av Europeiska unionen och Sida, inom ramen för Make ICT Fair, ett EU-omfattande projekt som syftar till att förbättra levnadsvillkor för arbetstagare och samhällen som påverkas längs produktionskedjorna för informations- och kommunikationsteknologi.

*Human rights due diligence är ett system för att bedöma om det finns faktisk, eller risk för, negativ påverkan på mänskliga rättigheter i ett företags leverantörskedjor, motverka och åtgärda risker och negativ påverkan, samt följa upp och kommunicera hur risker hanteras.

Du kan ta del av presentationerna och paneldiskussionen här (på engelska):

Risks and impacts linked to mineral extraction - Kim Claes, Catapa:

Social criteria in public contracts to address responsible sourcing of minerals in ICT supply chains - Kathleen McCaughey, Manager Sustainable Supply Chains, Stockholm Region:

Models of human rights due diligence assurance programme in mineral supply chains - Leah Butler, Vice President, Responsible Business Alliance:

Panel discussion on challenges and opportunities in applying social criteria, moderated by Josefine Hintz, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, with Carla Canal Rosich, International relations officer, Barcelona City Council, Elin Severholt, Sustainability advisor, City of Stavanger and Kathleen McCaughey, Manager Sustainable Supply Chains, Stockholm Region: