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8 February 2013
The Open Society Justice Initiative published a report according to which at least 54 states co-operated with the CIA in its rendition programme. Cooperation varied from holding interrogations to hosting CIA prisons. The report states that the exact number of the co-operating states is still unknown.
Source: The Guardian | CIA rendition: more than a quarter of countries 'offered covert support'
Source: Open Society Justice Initiative | Globalizing Torture - CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition
7 February 2013
French Foreign Minister said on Wednesday that France wanted a United Nations peacekeeping force in Mali by April, incorporating troops offered by West African nations. At the UN, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous confirmed that a UN-led mission looks increasingly likely rather than an African-led force. The UN force would need the approval of the Malian government, which has expressed doubts.
Source: France 24 | France calls for Mali handover to UN troops
Source: UN News Centre | UN peacekeeping mission in Mali increasingly possible, says top official
1 February 2013
States should not recognise an unlawful situation resulting from Israel’s violations of international law in the occupied territories, and states should take appropriate measures to make sure that business enterprises that are domiciled in their territory – that conduct activities in or related to the settlements – respect human rights. These are some of the recommendations in the advance copy of the Report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
The report also calls on private companies to assess the human rights impact of their activities, and to take all necessary steps to ensure they are not adversely impacting the human rights of the Palestinian People, in accordance with international law, as well as the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Source: Human Rights Council | Report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
31 January 2013
The SHARES Project has been closely following and collecting news items that are linked to the issue of shared responsibility (see: www.sharesproject.nl/news). We hereby introduce our second ‘SHARES News Items Overview’, a new category of blog posts consisting of a summary of recent news relating to shared responsibility. (more…)
31 January 2013
On 30 January 2013, the District Court of The Hague held that Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (Shell Nigeria) is liable for oil spills in Nigeria. Shell Nigeria was sentenced to pay damages to one Nigerian plaintiff for oil pollution damage that was caused by third party sabotage in Nigeria. According to the Court, Shell Nigeria has violated its duty of care and did not take sufficient measures to prevent sabotage by third parties.
The Court dismissed four other lawsuits that were brought by Nigerian farmers and fishermen, together with Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands), against other Shell entities and the parent company, claiming compensation for oil pollution damage that was suffered, and allegedly caused by poor maintenance of the Shell defendants.
Source: Reuters | Dutch court says Shell responsible for Nigeria spills
Source: Dutch judgements on liability Shell (Press Release)