[psych-hr] Endorse Intn'l Corp. Accountability Campaign

Hello Friends,

Here is a proposal that PsySR has been asked to endorse.  Since part of ths 
proposal includes human rights issues, I invite your comments.  Please let me 
know if there are any particular human rights issues that you would want us 
to emphasize.  I am especially interested in any comments you may have on the 
positive psychological impact this campaign might have in your part of the 
world.

Thanks loads, Anne

Anne Anderson
National Coordinator
Psychologists for Social Responsibility
2604 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 745-7084
(202) 745-0051 fax


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Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000 11:52:09 -0400
From: "Lisa Archer" <LArcher@foe.org>
To: psysrusa@cs.com
Subject: Marc Pilisuk /Endorse Intn'l Corp. Accountability
	Campaign/Friends of the Earth

Dear Ms. Anderson,

Marc Pilisuk recently received our email about the International Right-to-Know
campaign and he suggested I forward this information to you at Psychologists
for Social Responsibility. If your organization would like to endorse or
if you have any questions, feel free to email me or give me a call at the
number below.

Many thanks,
Lisa Archer
International Program, Grassroots Coordinator
Friends of the Earth

1025 Vermont Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-783-7400 x111
larcher@foe.org


HOLD US CORPORATIONS ACCOUNTABLE
ENDORSE INTERNATIONAL RIGHT TO KNOW CAMPAIGN

Dear Friends, 

On behalf of a coalition of environmental, labor, social justice and human
rights organizations, we’re writing to ask for your support for important
new legislation to hold U.S. multinational corporations accountable.

Recent protests at meetings of the World Trade Organization, World Bank and
International Monetary Fund illustrate a growing concern about
globalization and the actions of corporations.  The public is increasingly
aware that trade and investment agreements enable big business to move from
country to country around the globe, but place no requirements on
corporations to operate responsibly. 

US corporations should be held accountable for their impacts on the
environment, human rights and workers around the world. A recent survey by
the University of Maryland’s Program on International Public Attitudes
showed that nearly 90 percent of the American public expect US companies to
follow US environmental and safety standards overseas. 

A coalition of environmental, labor, social justice and human rights
organizations has joined together to ensure that at a minimum, basic US
right-to-know laws are applied to the overseas operations of US-owned
companies. Groups working on this initiative include Earth Rights
International, Friends of the Earth, Amnesty International, AFL-CIO,
American Lands Alliance, and the Community Right-to-Know Working Group.  We
believe that the public here and abroad has a right to know how US-owned
corporations are treating their workers, local communities, and the
environment.


The coalition has developed a right-to-know legislative proposal that would
require US corporations to report on their operations in foreign countries.
 This proposal would extend key domestic right-to-know laws in the
environmental, labor, and human rights areas to the overseas operations of
US-owned companies. 

 The outline of this legislative proposal is attached below.  We are
seeking the endorsement of your organization for this proposal, and we
believe that together we can convince members of Congress to sponsor and
pass international right to know laws.  Please join us in our effort to
require US companies to disclose how they are operating around the globe by
endorsing the proposal and by forwarding it to others whom may wish to
endorse it.  

Please return your endorsement as soon as possible to Friends of the Earth
at larcher@foe.org.  If you have any questions regarding the right-to-know
proposal and the coalition effort, please contact David Waskow at Friends
of the Earth at dwaskow@foe.org.

Please help us spread the word about this legislative proposal by
forwarding the appeal for endorsements to other organizations, especially
through listserves. Thank you for your participation in this important
effort for global accountability.




INTERNATIONAL RIGHT-TO-KNOW LEGISLATION

PROPOSED COMPONENTS


PURPOSE:  Right-to-know laws in the United States  such as the Emergency
Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 that requires
toxic release reporting  have provided communities and workers with
essential information about the conditions they face. Moreover, many
businesses have voluntarily improved their practices in response to
right-to-know laws; for example, industries have reduced their toxic
releases by almost 50% since the EPCRA program began.  

Given the critical role played by such disclosure requirements,
right-to-know principles should be extended to the international operations
of U.S. companies.  Communities and workers throughout the world have the
right to important information about corporate practices that will have
significant impacts on their lives.  In addition, the American public
expects that our international economic policy will reflect our country’s
best values, and not just commercial interests.  The time has therefore
come to export our values by ensuring that U.S. firms operating abroad
report on their practices in the critical areas of environment, labor and
human rights.  

ENVIRONMENT

·	Toxic Release Inventory.  Apply current domestic toxic release inventory
legislation to U.S. businesses operating abroad; this would require reports
to the U.S. EPA on toxic pollutants released into the air, land and water.  


·	Resource Extraction Disclosure.   Require U.S. businesses to report the
amount of natural resources  such as timber, minerals, etc.  that the
company has extracted, processed, purchased, or bid to purchase abroad.  

·	Emissions Permit Reports.  Require U.S. businesses to report when they
have applied to a foreign government for the right to increase pollutant
emissions from an overseas facility. 

LABOR 

·	Occupational Safety and Health Reports.  Apply current domestic OSHA
reporting requirements to U.S. businesses operating abroad by requiring
that they report serious work-related injuries and deaths.  

·	Hazardous Chemicals Disclosure.  As under current U.S. domestic law,
require U.S. businesses operating abroad to inform workers about hazardous
chemicals in the workplace.  


·	Core Labor Standards.  Require U.S. businesses to report on their labor
rights policies and any complaints received against them, and require them
to post the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in
every domestic and foreign facility.  

HUMAN RIGHTS

·	Security Arrangements Disclosure.   Require U.S. companies operating
abroad to disclose the existence of their security arrangements with state
police and military forces or with third party military or paramilitary
forces.  

·	Human Rights Policy Reports.  Require U.S. companies operating abroad to
report on their human rights policy, any complaints received from local
communities, and any human rights lawsuits filed against them.  

FACILITIES, SUBSIDIARIES AND CONTRACTORS

·	Disclosure of Facilities, Subsidiaries and Contractors.   Because the
reporting requirements above rely on having a clear picture of where U.S.
companies are operating abroad, require U.S. businesses to disclose the
name and location of all their facilities abroad and all facilities
maintained by their subsidiaries or contractors abroad.  Such a reporting
requirement builds on the current SEC disclosure requirement for the
principal facilities of a corporation.  
 
·	Disclosure by Facilities, Subsidiaries and Contractors.  U.S.
corporations would be required to have their subsidiaries and contractors
provide the information described above concerning their environmental,
labor and human rights practices.  


MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT

·	Accounting Requirements.  Require covered businesses to maintain detailed
records of the information reported.  

·	Criminal/Civil Penalties for Non-Compliance.   Allow government
prosecution of businesses or individuals that fail to comply with the
reporting provisions. 

·	Citizen Suits.  Allow private citizens and organizations to sue violators
and collect damages.