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Le 21 May 2015

SRSG visits coltan mine in Rubaya
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Open letter to members of the European Parliament regarding European regulation of conflict minerals

Le 18 May 2015

SRSG visits coltan mine in Rubaya
18 May 2015 The European Union (EU) encompasses some 500 million consumers and represents both the largest economy and the largest economic community in the world. Each year, minerals worth millions of euros enter EU territory from some of the poorest regions in the world. No one asks any questions whatsoever about the mining methods […]

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Vinci in Qatar: Nanterre’s public prosecutor launches a preliminary investigation

Le 27 April 2015

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Paris, April 27, 2015—On March 23, 2015, Sherpa filed a complaint for forced labor and servitude against Vinci Construction Grands Projets and the French directors of its subsidiary, Qatarie QDVC, based on information gathered in Qatar. The launch of the preliminary investigation by the Nanterre public prosecutor was announced on Saturday by the press. We welcome […]

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Two years after the Rana Plaza tragedy: we must wait no longer to definitively pass the bill on the duty of care

Le 23 April 2015

Rana Plaza Collapse: Death of A Thousand Dreams:
23/04/2015 On the anniversary of the Rana Plaza catastrophe, civil society organisations request that the government announce the date of examination before the Senate of the bill on the duty of care, which passed a first reading on 30 March, 2015 at the French National Assembly.  Worried that progress of the text is being delayed, […]

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Legal action against Vinci in Qatar: Vinci institutes defamation proceedings, claiming exorbitant damages from Sherpa Organisation and its employees

Le 16 April 2015

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Paris, Thursday, 16 April 2015 – in response to the proceedings we instituted against Vinci Construction Grands Projects and its Qatari subsidiary on 23rd March for forced labour and bonded labour, Vinci is bringing an action for defamation against the Sherpa Organisation, and also personally against certain Sherpa employees. By involving us in these costly […]

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Azerbaijan: EITI Board should sanction government for civil society crackdown

Le 14 April 2015

Basic CMYK
  280 groups from 35 countries urge the EITI Board to protect free and independent civic participation in the initiative. In a letter submitted today to the international Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), more than 280 civil society groups from 35 countries urged the initiative’s leadership to take “the strongest action possible” […]

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Complaint against Vinci Construction, Vinci denies the charges but the evidence is there

Le 2 April 2015

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Paris, April 2, 2015—On March 23rd, Sherpa filed a complaint against Vinci Construction for forced labor, servitude and concealment with regards to its sites in Qatar that include building projects for the World Cup 2022. Vinci denied our claims and alleges that it provides its migrant workers decent working conditions without specifying any of them… […]

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A historic first step for multinationals’ duty of care!

Le 31 March 2015

assemblée-nationale-27tm0ds RESIZED
March 31, 2015 – Yesterday the French National Assembly passed a bill at first reading on the duty of care of parent companies and contracting businesses. Despite certain weaknesses in the bill, our organisations are pleased with the significant progress this vote represents for the protection of human rights. After years of rallying by French and international […]

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2022 World Cup in Qatar: Sherpa Files Complaint against Vinci Construction and the Management of its Qatar Branch QDVC

Le 24 March 2015

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Paris, 24th March 2015 – Sherpa files a complaint against Vinci Construction Grands Projects (VCGP) and the French managers of its Qatari branch (QDVC) over violations concerning forced labour, servitude and receiving stolen goods in connection with migrants employed on their building sites in Qatar. Investigations carried out on site conclude that these companies are […]

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European Commission “Tax transparency package”: when transparency continues to rhyme with confidentiality

Le 18 March 2015

Conseil de l'Europe © Mouvement Européen Lorraine
Wednesday, 18 March 2015 – Today, the European Commission published its new “Tax transparency package” in response to the Luxleaks scandal. If the proposed measures are in line with strengthening the fight against European tax evasion, the tax and judicial havens platform organizations report that confidentiality remains in place, which doesn’t meet the expectations of […]

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Second Bill on Multinationals’ Duty of Vigilance: Little Change in Committee Stage

Le 11 March 2015

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Paris 11th March 2015. Tabled on 11th February by the socialist group, the new draft law on the duty of vigilance has just been scrutinized by three parliamentary committees before its plenary debate on 30th March. The debates have helped to improve certain points such as business relationship, but the proposed amendments on reinforcing the […]

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Long awaited investigation into Glencore for alleged tax dodging, shows EU Bank’s lack of transparency and vulnerability to abuse

Le 5 February 2015

Brussels – 5 February 2015- The European Investment Bank (EIB) is virtually powerless in the face of abuse of its own funds, an internal investigation published last week by the EIB shows. What’s even worse is that the EIB’s new transparency policy – to be adopted in the coming weeks – would formally allow the bank […]

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COMILOG: 20 years for victims’ voices to be heard and it’s still a matter of uncertainty

Le 30 January 2015

Train COMILOG - © Georges Dougueli
Paris, Friday, January 30—SHERPA welcomes the decision taken by the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court) this Wednesday which, by rejecting the appeal submitted by the COMILOG and COMILOG INTERNATIONAL companies, paves the way for full and fair compensation for 900 former Congolese rail workers represented in these proceedings by Eric Moulet, a lawyer for […]

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A large majority of French people support the end of impunity for multinational corporations What will the deputies do during the plenary review of the law on the duty of care?

Le 29 January 2015

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Paris, 29 January – According to a CSA poll commissioned by the Forum Citoyen pour la RSE (Citizen Forum for CSR) (1), French people in the survey overwhelmingly consider that multinational corporations must be more vigilant and legally liable for human and environmental disasters caused by their subsidiaries and subcontractors. Just a few days before […]

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CSO Comments on EIB transparency policy

Le 27 January 2015

EIB
    Brussels, 26-01-2015 To: Directors of the European Investment Bank Ref:  Draft EIB transparency policy Dear Madam, Sir: We are writing to you as a group of international civil society organisations to convey our ongoing concerns in relation to the 9 January 2015 draft EIB Group Transparency Policy. We would also like to put […]

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