http://ownme.msk.ru Сервис свежайших превью новостей правительства США Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:20:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/cote-divoire-toxic-waste-compensation-deal-open-to-abuse/ http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/cote-divoire-toxic-waste-compensation-deal-open-to-abuse/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:25:23 +0000 aron 15442 at http://www.amnesty.org
A deal agreed between lawyers representing victims of the Trafigura toxic waste disaster and a group trying to secure control of the $45 million compensation fund is open to serious abuse, Amnesty International warned on Monday.

Attempts by the group, known as the National Coordination of Toxic Waste Victims of Côte d’Ivoire (CNVDT-CI), to have the money moved to its bank account provoked an international outcry.

All of the 30,000 claimants in the case are actually represented by UK law firm Leigh Day & Co.

The latest deal follows a series of legal battles in Abidjan, the Ivorian commercial capital, to block CNVDT-CI from receiving the money.

Under the new agreement, Leigh Day & Co and CNVDT-CI will jointly oversee a process to validate individual claims for a share of the compensation, approximately US$1,500 per person.

“It is profoundly disturbing that the victims’ lawyers have had to strike a deal with an organization whose claim to represent the 30,000 victims is so patently untrue,” said Widney Brown, Senior Director for International Law and Policy at Amnesty International.

Following the validation process the 30,000 claimants will be able to collect their compensation money from branches of Société Générale bank over the next three consecutive Sundays. Amnesty International understands that any money not claimed in this period will be transferred to CNVDT-CI to distribute.

“This process is wide open to abuse,” said Widney Brown. “Distribution of funds to 30,000 people in just three days is simply not feasible. If the funds are not distributed within the allotted time Amnesty International is concerned that CNVDT-CI will end up walking away with the money anyway.

“We are also concerned that the agreement puts the claimants - who have to collect their payments on a known day and from a known place - at risk of being robbed.”

The situation in Abidjan is fragile, as evidenced by the recent decision of President Laurent Gbagbo to dissolve the government, and this raises even more concerns about the safety and the effective compensation of the victims.

There were reports of police using tear gas to quell unrest following news on Friday that President Gbagbo had dissolvedthe government.

Amnesty International has called on the authorities to ensure that adequate policing, carried out with full respect for human rights, is in place so that the claimants can collect their compensation money in safety.

In August 2006, toxic waste was brought to Abidjan on board the ship Probo Koala, which had been chartered by oil-trading company, Trafigura. This waste was then dumped in various locations around the city, causing a human rights tragedy.

More than 100,000 people sought medical attention for a range of health problems and there were 15 reported deaths.
 
On 23 September 2009, the High Court of England and Wales approved a $45 million settlement between nearly 30,000 victims of the toxic waste dumping and Trafigura.

Under the terms of the UK settlement, endorsed by the UK High Court, only Leigh Day has the mandate to distribute the money to each and every one of the victims.]]> http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/cote-divoire-toxic-waste-compensation-deal-open-to-abuse/feed/ 0 http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/policejskoe-nasilie-i-nezakonnye-vyseleniya-vblizi-papua-novoj-zolotoj-priisk-gvinejskix-dolzhny-byt-rassledovany/ http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/policejskoe-nasilie-i-nezakonnye-vyseleniya-vblizi-papua-novoj-zolotoj-priisk-gvinejskix-dolzhny-byt-rassledovany/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:34:41 +0000 aron 15228 at http://www.amnesty.org
The government of Papua New Guinea must investigate the conduct of police who burnt down homes and threatened people with guns while illegally evicting them from land next to one of the biggest gold mines in the country, Amnesty International said today.

Amnesty International’s report, Undermining Rights: Forced evictions and police brutality around the Porgera gold mine, Papua New Guinea, documents police violence and the forced eviction by police of families living alongside the Porgera gold mine.

Amnesty International also has concerns regarding ongoing support to the police by companies involved in the mine after the companies became aware of the police activity in the area.

The mine is 95% owned and operated by subsidiaries of the largest gold mining company in the world, Canadian-based Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick), as part of the Porgera Joint Venture (PJV). PJV supplied accommodation, food and fuel to the police under an agreement that PJV claims was conditional on the police abiding by national laws and international standards, including the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

Amnesty International does not allege that either company is responsible for the police violence or the forced evictions, however it believes Barrick and PJV failed to respond adequately when company personnel became aware of the police activity in the area.

“Instead of being able to rely on the police to protect them, people who were living next to the mine’s facilities have been the victims of human rights violations by police who illegally burnt down their houses and destroyed their belongings and gardens,” said Shanta Martin, Amnesty International's mining and human rights specialist. 

The report documents how between  April and July 2009 police raided villages in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, burning down at least 130 buildings and forcing out families from their homes, including young children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Residents of the area where most of the evictions took place, Wuangima, told Amnesty International that they had no prior warning that their homes would be demolished and in many cases had no opportunity to take their belongings before their houses were burnt. No alternative housing had been provided to them by the government and many families from the area now depend on their relatives for shelter and food.
 
“As soon as PJV became aware that the police were burning down people’s homes right next door to the mine’s facilities, they should have recorded and reported the activity to the Papua New Guinean authorities and urged an investigation, as recommended by the Voluntary Principles,” said Shanta Martin. “Instead, PJV is continuing to support the police, and Barrick has publicly defended the police activity.”

Amnesty International’s report urges the Papua New Guinean government to carry out a full investigation into forced evictions and police violence. The report urges the prosecution of those responsible, and for victims to be provided with remedies. It also calls on Barrick and PJV to provide information regarding the police conduct to the Papua New Guinean authorities and to urge the authorities to investigate.
]]> http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/policejskoe-nasilie-i-nezakonnye-vyseleniya-vblizi-papua-novoj-zolotoj-priisk-gvinejskix-dolzhny-byt-rassledovany/feed/ 0 http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/gaiti-s-vyzovom-pravam-cheloveka/ http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/gaiti-s-vyzovom-pravam-cheloveka/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:36:50 +0000 aron 15215 at http://www.amnesty.org Two weeks after the earthquake that devastated Haiti, its people are confronted with a human rights crisis. Amnesty International has identified some of the country's biggest human rights challenges and outlined a plan that puts protection of human rights at the core of relief and reconstruction efforts.

Exploitation of children
With families separated and schools destroyed, thousands of children in Haiti have been left without protection. The most vulnerable could become prey to the traffickers.

There is also a risk that children could be caught in irregular adoption processes - a risk increased by the interest of families abroad who would like to adopt Haitian children orphaned by the earthquake. Haitian institutions also have a lack of capacity to determine the status of children and ensure their rights are protected Separated and unaccompanied children might wrongly be considered orphans.

International adoption should be a last resort, used only after domestic alternatives have been exhausted. The Haitian authorities must ensure children are not taken out of the country without the completion of formal legal proceedings for international adoption.

Family tracing should be a priority for the international community, the Haitian authorities and international aid agencies.

Security and law enforcement
The Haitian government's ability to ensure the rule of law has been severely undermined by the earthquake. Establishing a functional justice system to deal with the most serious crimes should be a top priority.

There is a growing concern that prisoners convicted of violent crimes who escaped from Port-au-Prince’s National Penitentiary are trying to regain control of the most deprived and vulnerable communities.

In response to this threat, community members have organized themselves to prevent gangs from taking over communities. However, this could put community members at risk of spiralling violence. Amnesty International has received reports of lynchings and incidents of mob justice where alleged looters have been killed.

There are also reports of alleged looters being shot by police. Haitian authorities must ensure that firearms are only to be used by police in self-defence and as a last resort. The Haitian authorities must also set up a provisional detention centre, as the country’s main prison has been destroyed and other detention centres are overcrowded.

Rights of the displaced
Hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless by the earthquake and many have fled the devastated areas.

Displaced people must be supported to make voluntary and informed decisions about their future. Any relocation of internally displaced persons from camps or disaster areas must be voluntary, unless the safety and health of those affected requires evacuation. They should not be coerced in any way, including through the suspension of assistance. All displaced persons have the right to return to their former homes unless safety issues prevent it.

Violence against women
In post-disaster situations, women and girls are often particularly at risk from sexual violence, exploitation by traffickers and reduced access to sexual, reproductive and maternal health services. Their disadvantage in accessing aid is well documented.  
Those involved in the relief and reconstruction efforts must ensure that the prevention of all gender-based violence, in particular sexual violence, is integrated into their work.

Accountability of international forces
More than 10,000 US troops, 150 military personnel from the Dominican Republic and 800 Canadian soldiers have been deployed in Haiti to provide security for the distribution of aid.

The terms of deployment and rules of engagement must be clarified from the onset and respected by all international forces The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) personnel must also be governed by strict rules of accountability. In the past, leaving accountability for violations solely to the discretion of troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions has lead to impunity for serious human rights abuses.

Haiti’s foreign debt
In 2009, international financial institutions and other creditors cancelled US$ 1.2 billion of Haiti’s foreign debt. Despite this, Haiti still owes hundreds of millions of dollars to its creditors.

The repayment of this debt now represents an unacceptable burden on Haiti’s population and national economy. Amnesty International has called on all creditors to cancel Haiti’s debt. Insistence on repayment would hinder Haiti’s ability to meet its human rights obligations.

All financial resources available to Haiti in the years to come must be channelled to reconstruction programmes that ensure Haitians’ welfare and access to basic services, and equitable and sustainable development.

Image caption: Men fight over a bag of rice during UN food distribution, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, © AP GraphicsBank
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