HRs - Env - Access to Justice

International Corporate AccountabilityPaper Pulp Mills

Fray Bentos - Uruguay

Experimental Corporate Accountability Advocacy Strategies and Litigation

Argentina Uruguay

Rio

Uru

guay

Botnia

Ence

Principle Proponents(at first sight)

• Companies Botnia & ENCE• International Finance Corporation (IFC)• Uruguayan Government

(National and Local)• And then we found …

International Finance Corporation

Uruguay

After Investigation We Found:

International Finance Corporation

Gob. UruguayoPrivate Bank

Private Bank

MIGASpanish ECASpanish ECA

Private Bank

Int’l Org

Supplier

Finnish ECA

Banco Privado

Company

• Companies - Botnia/ENCE

• IFC

• MIGA

• Private Banks (ING / BBVA / Nordea / NIB, etc.)

• Finnvera (Finnish Export Credit Agency)

• CESCE & ICO (Spanish ECAs)

• Uruguayan Government (National and Local)

• Other Companies

Principal Oposition• Gualeguaychu Assembly (40,000 personas)

(Public/Business/NGOs)

• Select NGOs and Public in Uruguay • Argentine Government (National, Provincial and Municipal)• Uruguayan Prosecutor• Press• CEDHA

Gualeguaychu Assembly40,000 persons

Entre RíosGov

UruguayanNGOs

Argentine GovTaking to Bridge

What to do?

Possible Channels of Action• CAO• Inter-American Commission of Human Rights• European Commission for Violations to

European Citizens• Spanish/Finish Courts (Finnvera - ECA)• Criminal Actions in Argentina against CEOs• International Court of Justice - Hague• Legal Action in Uruguay• Equator Bank Compliance Claim (to BBVA and ING)

• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises• UN Human Rights Norms for Transnational

Corporations• UN Global Compact• Generally on Corporate Social Responsibility

Commitments

Int’l Court Justice

Int’l Human Rights Tribunal

Choice and Justifications for First Phase Advocacy

• Compliance Advisory Ombudsman– To uncover project irregularities and shortfalls– Gain advocacy legitimacy– Imminent Board Vote– Potential Favorable Audit and Opportune Moment to

Influence IFC

• Human Rights Commission– Political Attention– Experimental Legal Advocacy– Political Opportunity – Know How

Grounds of Action at CAO

• Violations to Environmental and Social Safeguards

• Violations to Disclosure Policy• Violations to International

Waterways Policy• Poor Stakeholder Consultation• Poor EIAs• Violations of International

Treaties• > Focuses on Obtaining Audits

Grounds of Action at IAHRC (for Responsibility of Uruguayan Gov. To Project)

• Right to Life• Right to Physical Integrity• Rights of the Child• Judicial Process• Progressive Realization of ESCR• Right to Health• Right to a Healthy Environment• Access to Information• Access to Justice

> We asked for Preventive Measures

Second Phase Advocacy

• Equator Principles (ING & BBVA)– Interesting Commitment from

Banks– Favorable CAO Audit = Key!– However, no compliant

mechanism (we created one!)

• Human Rights Compliance Complaint (Nordea)

– No mechanism Existed(we invented a complaint)

• Initiate ICJ Pressure• UN Norms• Increasing Social Movement

Advocacy • Intensification of Media Outreach• International NGO Outreach

Third Phase Advocacy

• Equator Principles (ING Pullout)– Advocacy Around Pullout

• Consolidate ICJ Complaint• OECD Complaints• Anti-ECA Advocacy• Continued Social Movement

Advocacy • Continued Media Outreach• Continued International NGO

Outreach

Private Bank

Spanish ECA

Finnish ECA

Exploratory StrategiesArticulation of Actions

IACHR Indep. Control Mechs

Social Movements

Human Rights

NGOs

Prvt Banks

IFIs

Safeguards

Others?

OECD -NCPs

CSR

Press

UN CAOWorld BankBoard

NationalGovernments

Companies

Romina Picolottiromina@cedha.org.ar

Center for Human Rights and Environment