"Right now, we need to be more concerned than ever about our image around the world. Our corporations are America's most visible ambassadors abroad, and too often they've secretly represented the worst, not the best, of America," said Stephen Mills, director of the Sierra Club's International Program. "Disclosure standards are a step toward ensuring that U.S. companies are helping to build good will, not ill will, towards America." AFL-CIO * Amnesty International USA * EarthRights International * Friends of the Earth-US * Global Exchange * Oxfam America * Sierra Club * Working Group on Community Right to Know For Immediate Release: January 22, 2003 Contact: Colleen Freeman, Friends of the Earth, 202 783 7400 x121 Zack Roth, Sierra Club, 202 675 6279 COALITION TELLS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: BUILDING TRUST REQUIRES DISCLOSURE New Report Highlights U.S. Multinationals' Shameful Human Rights, Environmental and Labor Records Washington, DC: As world business and political leaders gather in Davos, Switzerland for the 33rd annual World Economic Forum (WEF), a coalition of environmental, development, labor and human rights groups today released a joint report entitled "International Right to Know: Empowering Communities Through Corporate Transparency." The report documents the irresponsible environmental, labor and human rights practices committed by ExxonMobil, Nike, McDonald's, Unocal, Doe Run, Freeport McMoRan and Newmont Mining. Some of the practices described in the report: § 90 percent of children in La Oroya, Peru, the site of a lead smeltering facility owned by St. Louis-based Doe Run, have blood-lead levels above acceptable levels, and 20 percent have levels so high they should require hospitalization. § A Chinese manufacturer of McDonald's Happy Meal toys employs 13 year olds to work 16-hour days for $3 a day. Guided by the theme of "Building Trust," this year's WEF will be looking at ways to restore confidence in business after a turbulent year of one corporate scandal after another. The International Right to Know (IRTK) coalition is calling on American businesses to demonstrate their leadership and commitment to building trust by disclosing the same kind of information for their operations abroad that is required here in the United States. Restoring trust in corporate America means U.S. companies must not only provide accurate financial information, they must also disclose information concerning their environmental, labor and human rights practices. Disclosure would allow investors and consumers to make educated choices ? choices that are based on a factual and comprehensive portrayal of a company's business activities ? both here at home and abroad. For a copy of the report, go to: http://www.irtk.org/irtkreport.pdf Following are organizational quotes from each group that makes up the IRTK coalition releasing the report: "Since the Enron and Worldcom scandals, it's more clear than ever that corporations must be held to a higher standard not only in the United States, but around the world," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who will attend the World Economic Forum. "While at Davos, I will urge the participants to call loudly and clearly for more corporate accountability at every level of the global economy." "Too often, when U.S. corporations have set up shop overseas, they've brought with them environmental degradation, mistreatment of workers and human rights violations," said Folabi Olagbaju of Amnesty International USA. "People around the world - not just Americans - have a right to know what's going on in their backyards." "In recent years, American companies have been sued in U.S. courts for egregious human rights abuses associated with their business activities abroad," said Katie Redford of Earth Rights International. "These chilling stories speak for themselves on the need to ensure greater openness and accountability in the global economy." "The real 'ugly Americans' are not overweight tourists in tennis shoes, but the corporate suits who pollute drinking water and turn forests into moonscapes," said Colleen Freeman of Friends of the Earth, which has member groups in 70 countries. "And then our colleagues from Cameroon to Indonesia hit a brick wall every day when trying to get basic information to protect themselves that our own citizens are guaranteed." "Globalization has brought on a 'race to the bottom,' as U.S. businesses scramble to relocate to countries with the weakest environmental and labor standards," said Jason Mark of Global Exchange. "We need to ensure that when companies choose to take the low road, they can't hide it." "International-Right-to-Know standards wouldn't impose any limitations on the conduct of U.S. companies in other countries," said Keith Slack of Oxfam America. "These standards would simply allow the American people, and the local communities in which these corporations operate, to know some basic facts about the effects of these operations." "Right now, we need to be more concerned than ever about our image around the world. Our corporations are America's most visible ambassadors abroad, and too often they've secretly represented the worst, not the best, of America," said Stephen Mills, director of the Sierra Club's International Program. "Disclosure standards are a step toward ensuring that U.S. companies are helping to build good will, not ill will, towards America." "TRI has often been hailed as the most successful environmental program in the world by both citizens and businesses," said Paul Orum of the Working Group on Community Right to Know. "Information is the first step in ensuring the health and safety of communities and families and these disclosure standards are the right way to go. Communities overseas should have access to the same information when U.S. companies set up facilities in their backyards." Erin E. Jordahl Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club 3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280 Des Moines, IA 50310 515-277-8868 [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]