Shell Game With Human Rights? 2004 falsies awards - Disinformation

[DireStrike]

This is from an Alternet article: http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/20865/

The 2004 Falsies Awards

By Laura Miller, AlterNet. Posted December 30, 2004.

Remembering the people and players responsible for polluting our information environment.

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5) Corporate lobby groups such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) launched a fierce counter-campaign against the proposed Norms on Business and Human Rights, which were developed by a subcommission of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The Norms require businesses internationally to refrain from activities that violate human rights, coonstraints that have been vigorously opposed by the ICC and a the Royal Dutch/Shell oil company, a self-proclaimed leader in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement. "Is this not the kind of campaign one could expect only from companies lagging behind and from free-riders refusing to adapt to social and environmental concerns?" asked the Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). The motive behind Shell's opposition, CEO suggested, is that "the company generally gets away easily with its inflated claims concerning its social responsibility record." A 2004 report by Christian Aid documented that Shell's operations in the Niger Delta (Nigeria) are still causing serious problems for local communities. The report also found that most of the community development projects presented in various glossy Shell reports on CSR are in fact failing. "Hospitals, schools and water supply systems are built but never start working, and roads are mainly used to boost oil production," reported CEO. "But beyond the debate about the extent to which Shell's CSR claims are actually greenwash and poor-wash, it is clear that the company is determined to prevent the emergence of international mechanisms through which communities could hold it accountable to its pledges."




I'd heard about Shell's Nigerian dalliances, and largely dismissed them - Shell seemed to me "the lesser of many evils." Now, I dunno what to think. It's a good thing I don't have a car, or else I'd be hard pressed to find a place to buy gas.