Bangaldesh building collapse calls for “robust respect for human rights” – Holy See
31 May, 2013 - With the images of the collapse of an 8-storey building housing five
garment factories, near the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on April 24th, still before
the eyes of the world, the Holy See appealed for the establishment, promotion and
exchange of good and innovative practices from all corporations for a more robust
respect for human rights. The appeal was made on Friday by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi,
the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, when he addressed
the 23rd Session of the Human Rights Council on “Transnational Corporations and Human
Rights”. “The achievement of these goals will benefit people everywhere and support
the universal common good. Responsible business practices that respect human rights
and protect the environment will support a more sustainable and inclusive economy,”
the Vatican diplomat said. “The loss of more than 1,100 young lives coupled
with the untold pain of their relatives, and the suffering and crushed dreams of hundreds
more is a reminder of corrective actions that need to be undertaken by all corporations
that participate in a global supply chain process that relies continually on the contribution
of workers,” Archbishop Tomasi said. “The images of that disaster,” he said, “are
also a reminder of the interdependence that globalization has brought about in transnational
economic activity.” The archbishop cited Pope Francis who was deeply moved by the
tragic case of Dhaka, saying, “People are less important than the things that give
profit to those who have political, social and economic power.” Pointing to the core
issues that are often present in factory life today the Pope said that “Not paying
a just [wage], not providing work, focusing on statements, only looking at making
personal profit, that goes against God!”, while describing the conditions in which
the workers lost their lives as “slave labour”.
Below is the full text of Archbishop
Silvano Tomasi's statement, of which only a few sections were read out due to time
limit:
Mr. President,
The urgency of the call to increased
Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility was elevated to a new pitch for
all stakeholders when the news about the collapse of a garment factory on the outskirts
of Dhaka on April 24th spread rapidly around the world. The loss of more than 1,100
young lives coupled with the untold pain of their relatives, and the suffering and
crushed dreams of hundreds more is a reminder of corrective actions that need to be
undertaken by all corporations that participate in a global supply chain process that
relies continually on the contribution of workers. The images of that disaster are
also a reminder of the interdependence that globalization has brought about in transnational
economic activity.
Deeply moved by the tragic case of Dhaka, Pope Francis
expressed his concern about conditions where “People are less important than the things
that give profit to those who have political, social and economic power.” Pointing
to the core issues that are often present in factory life today he said that “Not
paying a just [wage], not providing work, focusing on statements, only looking at
making personal profit, that goes against God!”, while describing the conditions in
which the workers lost their lives as “slave labour”.
Numerous challenges
have emerged throughout the evolution of industrialization and its attendant mass
production processes over the last three hundred years. Governments, civil society,
unions, shareholders and corporations sometimes cooperatively and at other times in
adversity have worked to decrease the negative impacts of those realities. However
still in our own day the number of human lives that are lost or severely crushed as
a result of unsafe working conditions remains too great.
In recent years
various initiatives have been undertaken by different stakeholders to address some
of the remaining challenges that exist in the predominant supply chain business model
that cuts across nearly all business sectors. They have successfully brought some
level of scrutiny to the policies and more importantly the practices that needed to
be changed. These stakeholders from both the public and private sectors from civil
society and from the faith based investment community deserve to be applauded for
their achievements to protect human dignity, promote human rights and safeguard the
environment.
As recently as 2009, in the encyclical “Caritas in Veritate”,
Pope Benedict XVI reminded us all that “among those who sometimes fail to respect
the human rights of workers are large multinational companies as well as local producers.”
(#22) It remains important for all, therefore, to recognize labour standards as an
integral and important part of corporate social responsibility. Freedom of association,
the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour, the abolition of child
labour and the effective elimination of discrimination in employment and payment must
be respected and enforced in all jurisdictions.
Another important aspect
of the work that remains to be done in this arena is a more complete and deliberate
consensus about the role and responsibility of corporations in society. While a great
number of people and corporate leaders have successfully moved beyond the view that
the maximization of profit is the sole reason and purpose for corporations, the support
and adoption of the legal framework that can serve as a foundation for this new vision
is still in its infancy. The search for a consensus that will provide the desirable
balance between the role and responsibility of governments and the public sector and
at the same time the space for private corporations to make their valuable contributions
to the common good continues. We must sustain our commitment to that search and allow
it to produce appropriate and different but clear solutions for the varying situations,
cultures and regions that exist across the world.
The endorsement by
the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011 of the “Guiding Principles on Business and
Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations Protect, Respect, and Remedy Framework”
was an important milestone. It was followed in November 2011 by the release of “The
Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights: An interpretive Guide” by the Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Thus the commitment to implementation became
evident. The foundational platform that calls states to protect, corporations to respect
and all stakeholders to remedy past abuses of human rights is both clear and welcome.
The
collaborative and inclusive process that led to the adoption of these important policies
by the United Nations was a clear indication that all stakeholders, some of whom previously
had been on opposite sides in the many debates related to the issues addressed in
these commitments, were ready to both embrace the social commitment of corporations
and ready to create the tools and mechanisms that would facilitate the fulfillment
of such responsibilities. The ongoing commitments by different stakeholders to the
due diligence that is integral to the promotion of human rights are making an important
contribution to the strategic work that is now being accomplished.
Corporate
Social Responsibility is not only necessary because both international organizations
and public opinion are increasingly demanding that private companies take a greater
role in promoting well-being wherever they operate but also because it is an issue
of social justice.
The Holy See takes this opportunity to recall the
responsibility of transnational corporations and other business enterprises to respect
human rights. Proper regulation can contribute to the promotion of and respect for
human rights and to the common good of all. Every business, regardless of its size
or number of employees, where it has been established in the country of installation
or operation, should support, respect and protect internationally proclaimed human
rights within their sphere of influence.
Greater transparency by all
corporations is also needed so that all stakeholders have the information required
to make well-founded judgments about the ways in which human rights are respected
and protected. Consumers also will benefit from increased transparency and be in a
better position to make informed judgments about their purchasing choices. In that
way they can reward companies that are proactive in respecting human rights and avoid
those who only give lip service to that priority. Better certifications and international
standards can also help to address this global challenge by establishing a clear benchmark
and framework for monitoring those who respect human rights and social corporate responsibility.
In conclusion, Mr. President, with the images of the factory collapse
in Bangladesh still before the eyes of the world, we wish to make a special appeal
for the establishment, promotion and exchange of good and innovative practices gleaned
from a wide variety of actors, in both the public and private sectors, so that a more
robust respect for human rights will become a priority for all corporations. The achievement
of these goals will benefit people everywhere and support the universal common good.
Responsible business practices that respect human rights and protect the environment
will support a more sustainable and inclusive economy.