This
lecture has been organised jointly by the CETIM and the AAJ in the framework
of the Commission on human rights on 29th April 2004.
SUMMARY: The aim of this lecture was to emphasize two
crucial problems that are not dealt with by the Draft Norms on transnational
corporations of the Sub-Commission: first, to affirm the necessity of
making the transnational corporation solitarily responsible towards its
sub-contractors, suppliers and licensees, and second, to admit the individual
civil and criminal responsibility of the directors of transnational corporations.
Transnational corporations ability of being simultaneously everywhere
and nowhere and the benevolent support of powerful states allow them to
violate, often in total impunity, national and international legislation,
as the lecture showed.
Three speakers gave their opinion:
Mr. Alejandro Teitelbaum, representative of the American Association of
Jurists, outlined the procedure to follow for the "Draft Norms on
the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and other Business
Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights" developed by the SCHR, and
the flaws this draft contains.
Mr. Gilbert Gouverneur, President of Friends of the Earth, spoke about
the "invisible" responsibility of TNCs regarding technology,
and raised the emblematic example of agro-alimentary group Monsanto, one
of the world leaders in biotechnology and genetically modified organisms
production.
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Responsabilité invisible en matière de technologie et de biotechnologie: le cas Monsanto - Intervention by Gilbert Gouverneur |
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Visit the site of Friends of the Earth France |
As for Mr. Aurèle Clémencin, representative of Greenpeace
France, he explained the tragedy of Bhopal, India, and outlined the responsibility
of US company Union Carbide and the victims' legal fight that continues
nowadays.
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Le cas Bhopal en Inde - intervention by Aurèle Clémencin |
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Visit the Greenpeace France file about Bhopal |
About the Draft Norms:
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Press Release from CETIM and AAJ on the Draft Norms on the Responsibilities of transnational corporations. HRC 2004 (.pdf) |
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See CETIM Issue about transnational corporations |
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Back to Conferences |
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