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Jan.-Mar. 2002:

Sudan rebels say kill 300 troops near oilfields: Rebels in Sudan said on Sunday they had killed 300 army soldiers in their biggest battle since the government launched an offensive to secure oil-producing areas early this year...''We want oil companies to immediately evacuate the area and go away, they still remain a legitimate target and the SPLA does not take prisoners,'' Garang said...The rebels say the government is using an increasing flow of oil revenues to buy weapons. (Matthew Green, Reuters, 31 Mar. 2002)

Ecuador Police Detain, Deport Anti-Pipeline Activists: Ecuador's police have detained 17 environmental activists who tried to block construction of a controversial oil pipeline through an ecologically unique Andean rainforest and plans to immediately deport the 14 foreigners in the group (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 29 Mar. 2002) 

Outcry as Another Colombian Union Leader Slain Amid Rising Tensions: International unions are denouncing last week's murder, apparently by right-wing paramilitary forces, of a union leader in a key oil-refining center, the northern city of Barrancabermeja, that has become Colombia's bloodiest urban battleground over the past two years. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 28 Mar. 2002) 

Khartoum insists civilian protection accord covers oil installations: A senior Khartoum official said Thursday a US-brokered accord to protect civilians in Sudan's long-running civil war also applies to oil installations which rebels have declared a legitimate target...The SPLA has warned in the past that the oil regions are "legitimate military targets," charging that revenues are used to finance Khartoum's "war machine" rather than raise the standard of living for civilians. (AFP, 28 Mar. 2002)

• Sudan rebel leader vows to attack oil: Sudanese Rebel leader John Garang said Monday he would continue attacking oil wells operated by foreign countries and controlled by Khartoum despite his intention to sign an agreement with the north barring all attacks on civilians. (Eli J. Lake, UPI, 25 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Mapuches demandan a Repsol [la empresa Repsol-YPF] por 445 millones [Argentina]: Presentan hoy ante el juzgado federal un reclamo civil por esa suma (en dólares) a raíz los daños producidos por la explotación de hidrocarburos. (Diario Río Negro [Argentina], 27 marzo 2002)

Drummond says assassination suit effort to destroy Colombian jobs: Drummond Co., accused in a [U.S.] federal lawsuit of encouraging the assassination of three union leaders in Colombia, said the accusations are part of an effort to destroy jobs in that country...Drummond, in its statement, says it vehemently denies the allegations (Val Walton, Birmingham News [USA], 27 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Caso OCP: demandan libertad de 17 ecologistas [Ecuador] - El grupo de activistas ecológicos se encontraba desde el dos de enero en una de las zonas más frágiles del bosque protector de Mindo Nambillo, para impedir el avance de la construcción del Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP). (La Hora [Ecuador], 27 marzo 2002)

Energy Task Force [Bush administration's energy policy task force] Courted Industry, Excluded Green Groups [USA] (Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, 26 Mar. 2002)

Survey - Business education: Human approach moves up agenda - Although awareness of CSR [corporate social responsibility] is on the increase, some academics feel not enough is happening in corporate training organisations [refers to Unipart and BP as 2 companies that do include serious discussion of corporate social responsibility in their in-house training] (Sarah Murray, Financial Times, 25 Mar. 2002)

The Economies of Conflict - Private Sector Activities and Armed Conflict [series of reports analysing the connections between private sector activity and armed conflict, and ways to break the cycle of violence] (Fafo Institute for Applied Social Science, 25 Mar. 2002)

• Emerging Conclusions - March 2002

• Illicit Finance and Global Conflict (Jonathan Winer)

• The Logs of War (Global Witness)

• Dirty Diamonds (Ian Smillie)

• Fuelling Conflict (Philip Swanson)

• Forthcoming Reports in the Economies of Conflict Series

New Report Targets Embezzlement of Billions of Angola’s Petrodollars to Bring Chance for Lasting Peace:...International oil companies and banks are complicit in this process of embezzlement because they refuse to publish what they pay to the Angolan State, preventing ordinary Angolans from calling their government to account over missing oil revenues. International oil companies like ChevronTexco, TotalFinaElf and ExxonMobil claim that payments are confidential, although they routinely publish such information in developed countries. “As a result, this lack of transparency allows the ruling elite to embezzle the State’s assets with impunity, whilst one child dies every three minutes of preventable causes in this war-ravaged country” (Global Witness, 25 Mar. 2002)

• full report: All the Presidents Men - The devastating story of oil and banking in Angola's privatised war. All the Presidents Men is the product of two years of investigations, and provides an update on the campaign for full transparency in the oil and banking sector. (Global Witness, 25 Mar. 2002)

• {···português} Novo Relatório Expõe a Apropriação Ilílita de Bilhões de Petrodólares Angolanos para Dar Oportunidade à Paz (Global Witness, 25 março 2002)

• {···português} Os Homens dos Presidentes - Os Homens dos Presidentes é o resultado de dois anos de investigações e apresenta uma actualização da campanha a favor de transparência total nos sectores bancário e petrolífero. (Global Witness, 25 março 2002)

Talisman questions memo on Sudan ethnic cleansing: Talisman Energy Inc. said on Monday it does not know the origin of a memo that human rights groups say shows the Canadian oil producer asked Sudan's army in 1999 to remove villages near its oil facilities in the war-torn African country...Human rights groups have filed the document as evidence in U.S. federal court in a lawsuit alleging Talisman has conspired with the Sudanese government in ethnic cleansing that killed or removed non-Muslim civilians living in proximity to Sudan's oil production regions. (Reuters, 25 Mar. 2002)

• Canadian oil group asked Sudan army to 'remove' villagers, document alleges: Talisman Energy faces lawsuit over army's 'cleaning-up operations' in oilfields (Edward Alden, Financial Times, 22 Mar. 2002)

Toxic Trade? A Canadian chemical firm says California's pollution controls violate NAFTA rules...In Santa Monica...the groundwater is poisoned... a pollutant has leaked from the underground tanks of gasoline stations. The culprit: methyl tertiary butyl ether...As lawsuits against 18 oil companies drag on, California has ordered a phaseout of the chemical, and a dozen other states have followed suit...METHANEX, the Canadian company that makes a key ingredient of MTBE, is challenging California's ban under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement. (Margot Roosevelt, Time Magazine, 25 Mar. 2002)

The New Accountability: Tracking the Social Costs:...Pressure from investors, customers, consumer activists and even some governments is pushing more companies, particularly multinational ones, to report their nonfinancial performance, detailing the impact of their businesses on the environment and human rights... McDonald's...plans to release its first sustainability report the week of April 15...In a move that advocates of social reporting say foreshadows corporate reporting to come, Shell will include its sustainability report in the same binding as its annual financial report for the first time this year, underscoring the message that the two go hand in hand. (Amy Cortese, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2002)

How to develop win-win partnerships in developing markets: Established in 1998 at the initiative of the World Bank, Business Partners for Development/Natural Resources (BPD/NRC) has conducted a three-year exercise to see if business, government and civil society can get better results by partnering up in developing countries. [report on a project in India involving Integrated Coal Mining Limited, community leaders in the affected villages and local government officials] (Michael Warner, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 22 Mar. 2002)

Alabama coal giant is sued over 3 killings in Colombia:...Now the state's largest mining business, the Drummond Company, has been accused of encouraging the assassination of three union leaders at its giant coal mine in Colombia. (Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2002)

{···español} Gobierno usa la fuerza contra indígenas [Ecuador]: El defensor del Pueblo, Claudio Mueckay, exhortó al ministro de Gobierno, Marcelo Merlo, para que cesen los procedimientos de fuerza que adoptan contra las comunas indígenas. El Defensor del Pueblo explicó que los procedimientos de fuerza se refieren a los indígenas, colonos y campesinos con motivo de la construcción del OCP y de la exploración y explotación petrolera en las provincias de Sucumbíos y Orellana. (La Hora [Ecuador], 22 marzo 2002)

China Cracks Down on Worker Protests: Leaders Detained As 2 Cities Face Continued Unrest - Chinese riot police smashed into a crowd of retreating protesters in a northern industrial city today and dragged off three more leaders of a nascent independent workers' movement. (John Pomfret, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2002)

Norsk Hydro makes rights its business: Norsk Hydro [oil, aluminium, petrochemicals & agricultural fertilisers], which is 40% owned by the Norwegian government,...is handing over about £85,000 to Amnesty International in return for instruction on "how to handle the human rights challenges we face", said the group's president and chief executive, Eivind Reiten, yesterday...Norsk Hydro said its deal with Amnesty would not stop the rights group criticising the company. (Julia Finch, Guardian [UK], 20 Mar. 2002)

MYANMAR [Burma]: Grim outlook for Asia's final frontier of biodiversity - The very existence of the regime rests upon the exploitation of natural resources. The generals have allowed massive logging -- particularly of teak -- and the construction of gas pipelines and other development projects that have caused serious environmental damage. Uncontrolled fishing by Thai companies, to whom the junta gave concessions, has led to the impoverishment of people in fishing villages. The exploitation of natural gas and minerals and the implementation of large dam projects continues with little concern for the effect on the environment or on the populations in the areas being exploited. (Cesar Chelala [author of "Impact of the Environment on Children's Health," a publication of the Pan American Health Organization], in Japan Times, 20 Mar. 2002)

Efforts made to reduce acid rain: China pledged to strictly control the country's emissions of sulphur dioxide yesterday in a bid to reduce acid rain, which is threatening more than 30 per cent of Chinese territory...All coal mines containing sulphur are required to set up desulphurization facilities by 2005. (Zhang Yong, China Daily [Beijing], 20 Mar. 2002) 

EPA to ease coal plant rules, pollution suits - Post [USA]: The Bush administration has decided to shift from a Clinton-era clear air enforcement initiative that led to dozens of lawsuits against aging coal-fired power plants, The Washington Post reported yesterday. According to U.S. Environment Protection Agency officials, the administration plans to unveil new rules that would offer incentives for reductions in toxic emissions without threatening legal action against plant operators, the newspaper said. (Reuters, 19 Mar. 2002)

INTERVIEW - Lundin says needs security to resume Sudan oil work: Swedish oil explorer Lundin Petroleum , which suspended its Sudan activities in January for security reasons, said on Monday it needed a "sustainable peaceful environment" to resume work there. (Caroline Drees, Reuters, 18 Mar. 2002)

Norway to halt oil leaks, urges UK nuke closure: Norway said it wanted to stop leaks from its oil and gas platforms by 2005..."Our main goal is that one multi-billion industry should not kill off another," [Norway's] Environment Minister Boerge Brende said, referring to the threat to fisheries from oil and gas. (Alister Doyle, Reuters, 18 Mar. 2002)

Colombia: Union sues U.S. coal company: On March 14, the Union of Workers of the Mining and Energy Industry of Colombia (Sintramienergetica) filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. federal court in Birmingham, Alabama, against the Alabama-based Drummond mining company and its owner, Garry Drummond...Sintramienergetica charges the mining company with having hired rightwing paramilitaries to abduct, torture and kill three of the union’s leaders in 2001 as part of a plan to stop other Drummond employees from joining the union. (Americas.org, 17 Mar. 2002)

• company website: Drummond Company Inc. (Drummond Company)

{···español} Instancia decisiva en litigio con la Texaco [Ecuador]: La justicia de Estados Unidos deberá fallar esta semana sobre la procedencia de una demanda iniciada en 1993 por indígenas de Ecuador contra la compañía petrolera ChevronTexaco, a la que acusan de contaminar la selva amazónica. (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, in La Hora [Ecuador], 17 marzo 2002)  

Chinese Oil Country Simmers as Workers Protest Cost-Cutting: Thousands Laid Off, Benefits Reduced - The situation is complicated by the fact that PetroChina Co., which owns most of Daqing's oil assets, is listed on the New York and Hong Kong stock exchanges so its actions, when dealing with the workers, could be subject to the scrutiny of its foreign shareholders. (John Pomfret, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2002)

When exploration rights meet human rights: OIL INDUSTRY: The importance of remaining on good terms with the local community is more than just a matter of security -...what is clear is that simply building a fence, calling in the local military or a private security firm and getting on with the business of extracting, transporting and selling oil is no longer good enough [refers to Premier Oil, Shell, BP, Occidental Petroleum, Statoil, ExxonMobil] (Sarah Murray, Financial Times, 15 Mar. 2002)

China: ICFTU deeply concerned about workers’s protest at the Daqing Petroleum Company - With pressure building on China’s authorities to negotiate with a newly-established independent trade union of oil workers, Guy Ryder, the ICFTU General Secretary, has written to the President of the People’s Republic of China, Jiang Zeming...The independent union’s leaders have so far remained in hiding for fear of arrest. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 15 Mar. 2002)

BP Beats Greenhouse Gas Target Source: Gas and oil company BP has announced that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by more that nine million tons, eight years ahead of target. The company said it will peg future net emissions at this new, lower level -- despite plans to grow its oil and gas production by 5.5% per year. (GreenBiz.com, 13 Mar. 2002)

Chinese oil workers in massive protest:...The BBC Beijing correspondent says this is one of the biggest labour protests in China in recent years...Mr Han's organisation, the Chinese Labor Bulletin, says the workers have set up their own independent union. This is illegal in China, where workers can only seek redress through official unions controlled by the Communist Party. (BBC News, 13 Mar. 2002)

Sacked Chinese workers in mass rally: Tens of thousands of laid-off workers are protesting outside China's biggest oil field, angry at a dispute over their severance and at not being able to organize their own unions. (CNN, 13 Mar. 2002) 

Ecuador Amazon Indians appeal Texaco-case ruling: Rainforest Indians of Ecuador and Peru urged a U.S. appeals court to reinstate nine-year-old litigation against Texaco, alleging that toxic dumping devastated their environment and exposed residents to cancer-causing pollutants (Gail Appleson, Reuters, 13 Mar. 2002)

Greenpeace action hits SPP shale oil plans [Australia]: Southern Pacific Petroleum NL said environmental activist group Greenpeace was undermining a demonstration project to develop vast Australian shale oil reserves...Greenpeace said the demonstration plant produced high greenhouse gas emissions, dioxin releases, air and water pollution and affected the health of local people. (Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002) 

Greens say plan new protest against Esso in UK: The StopEsso campaign said last week it would organise a second round of demonstrations at over 300 UK Esso petrol stations on May 18 to persuade motorists to boycott the oil giant over its stance on climate change. (Neil Chatterjee, Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002)  

The Uructu-Porto Velho Gas Pipeline: At What Cost to Indigenous Peoples? [Brazil]...Indigenous peoples and representatives of the gas pipeline company Petrobas have been recently involved in discussions initiated by environmental organizations. (Cultural Survival, 11 Mar. 2002)

Rainforest Indians [from Ecuador] in New York for major showdown with Chevron-Texaco: Billions at stake as tribal leaders press groundbreaking lawsuit before Appeals Court - Assert Texaco ruined their rivers and land, destroying their centuries-old way of life...and dramatically increased the risk of cancer for tens of thousands of people. (Frente para la Defensa de la Amazonia, 11 Mar. 2002)

SUDAN: Church groups urge action on "three key issues" - Delegates...confirmed the Sudanese churches' position that "oil exploration must be suspended until there is a just and sustainable peace and agreement has been reached for the equitable sharing of resources"...Research, particularly in the last two years, had shown that the oil business had aggravated the suffering of civilians, especially in oil-producing areas, it [Christian Aid] said. (IRIN - United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, 11 Mar. 2002)

Workplace deaths add fuel to union's safety campaign [New Zealand]: Two more people have died in workplace accidents, one a stevedore and the other a coalminer. The latest deaths come amid heated debate over the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill, aimed at cracking down on workplace accidents and injuries. (The Dominion [New Zealand], 11 Mar. 2002)

Koo's Group faces protest [Taiwan/USA]: Activists are upset that the company is doing little to solve a lingering dispute between workers and plant management at one of its factories in the US - US and Taiwanese labor and environmental activists yesterday protested in Taipei City against the Koo's Group, urging the corporation to solve disputes [including labour safety and environmental issues] in the US surrounding one of its subsidiaries, Continental Carbon Company. (Chiu Yu-Tzu, Taipei Times, 9 Mar. 2002)

Worker dies in coalmine cave-in [New Zealand] (Karen Potter, Southland Times [New Zealand], 9 Mar. 2002)

SUDAN: Southern groups call for civilian "safe havens" - A broad coalition of Sudanese civil society groups and indigenous nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) this week called on the United Nations Security Council to create "safe havens" in southern Sudan in order to protect civilians from what it called a government "scorched earth policy"...[T]he organisations...also called on the oil companies working in western Upper Nile...to cease extraction until peace was achieved in Sudan. (IRIN - United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks, 8 Mar. 2002)

Shell to Stand Trial for 1990s Human Rights Abuses in Nigeria: A U.S. Federal Court rejected Shell's plea to dismiss a case charging the company with human rights abuses in Nigeria dating back to 1995. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 8 Mar. 2002)

Ecuador environment ministry suspends OCP license: Ecuador's Environment Ministry has temporarily suspended pipeline builder OCP Ecuador SA's license until it repairs damages near a protected forest, an official said this week. (Reuters, 8 Mar. 2002) 

INTERVIEW - Shell set for rapid growth in wind power: Anglo-Dutch Energy giant Shell is poised for three years' of rapid growth in wind power as part of a billion dollar push into green energy, a senior executive told Reuters this week. (Stuart Penson, Reuters, 8 Mar. 2002)  

{···español} TC define caso Texaco [Ecuador]: La suerte del juicio que los colonos e indígenas amazónicos plantearon en contra de la petrolera Texaco desde 1993 por perjuicios al medio ambiente en una corte de la ciudad de Nueva York, se definirá en los próximos días en el Tribunal Constitucional. (La Hora [Ecuador], 7 marzo 2002)

CHILD MORTALITY: Remove Lead From Gasoline, Conference Delegates Say - The First International Conference on Environmental Risks to Children's Health ended today in Bangkok with more than 300 participants calling on Asian governments to remove lead from gasoline and reduce tobacco smoke in public areas and private homes. (UN Wire, 7 Mar. 2002)

• Asia: Experts call on governments to remove lead from gasoline (World Health Organization, 7 Mar. 2002)

• {···français} Asie : les experts appellent les gouvernements à interdire le plomb dans l’essence

50,000 Daqing Oilfield Workers Organise Independent Trade Union [China]:...the workers have set up their own union, the Daqing PAB Retrenched Workers' Provisional Union Committee, and elected representatives. The local authorities responded by sending para-military police, and deploying a PLA tank regiment. (China Labour Bulletin, 6 Mar. 2002)

Big cuts in cancer gases achieved [UK]: The amount of cancer-causing chemicals being released by Britain's biggest factories has fallen by almost 40 per cent over the last three years according to an analysis of official pollution data by Friends of the Earth, published today. But the figures also reveal that over 9,000 tonnes of cancer causing gases are still released. Seventy per cent of the pollution is released by just 10 factories [10 companies owning factories with highest releases of recognised carcinogens, 1998 - 2000: Ineos Chlor, Associated Octel, Glaxo, Carpenter, Ineos Chlor, Acordis Acetate, Recticel Manufacturing, BASF, Vitafoam, Esso Petroleum] (Friends of the Earth, 6 Mar. 2002)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Desai Speaks Out On Mining, Cars, More -  The Aug. 26-Sept. 4 World Summit on Sustainable Development will be marked by a new level of support from business for sustainable development goals, summit head Nitin Desai told Le Figaro...Desai said...mining companies will be invited to seek new modes of operation. ... Big automobile makers like Renault, Toyota, Honda, Ford and Volkswagen, together with oil companies like BP and Shell, will also have to develop a new strategy of sustainable mobility...All big businesses must become good planetary citizens. (UN Wire, 6 Mar. 2002) 

• {···français} Le deuxième sommet de la Terre se prépare: Le secrétaire général de la conférence qui se tiendra en septembre à Johannesburg affiche sa confiance - Nitin Desai : «Toutes les grandes entreprises doivent devenir de "bons citoyens planétaires".» (Le Figaro, 4 mars 2002)

ANGOLA: Human Rights Watch Briefs Security Council; More -...Human Rights Watch called on the council to push the Angolan government to disclose data about its $3.18 billion in oil revenue, which it says could improve governance and the human rights situation. (UN Wire, 6 Mar. 2002)

Angola at the crossroads:...The most basic needs of the people of Angola could be paid for by Angola's immense natural resources, such as diamonds and oil. However, little of this money actually reaches the people who need it most. Secrecy surrounding the oil industry prevents the Angolan people from monitoring the revenues it brings in and reaping the rewards. This needs to change. (Oxfam, 6 Mar. 2002)

Talisman seeks 'clear-cut, unencumbered' price for Sudan oil property:...Critics charge that oil money is fuelling the war and displacing people from energy-producing lands. Talisman argues that its presence is helping the impoverished African country develop a peace plan and build vital infrastructure...Analysts have long argued that the cash-rich, well-diversified company's shares are discounted because of its Sudan involvement (James Stevenson, Canadian Press, 6 Mar. 2002)

Lawsuits may be next weapon in climate change fight: Lawsuits may become the next weapon against climate change as impotent, tiny islands, sinking beneath the waves, seek revenge on the rich polluting nations and multinational concerns they accuse of wiping them out...Australia and the United States could possibly be challenged in the International Court of Justice for not ratifying Kyoto...An alternative avenue might be the U.S. alien tort claims act, which could allow Pacific islands to sue car makers, power station operators or oil firms for pollution. (Michael Christie, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002)

• US says Kyoto no help to sinking isles (Paul Tait, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002) 

Major Canadian business groups take aim at Kyoto: Two influential Canadian business groups [Canadian Chamber of Commerce & Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers] urged Ottawa not to ratify the Kyoto protocol on global warming, saying that to do so would cost thousands of jobs and billions of dollars. (David Ljunggren, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002) 

• Canada dismisses report on potential Kyoto damage: Canada dismissed a report this week that predicted ratifying the Kyoto protocol on global warming would badly damage the country's economy (David Ljunggren, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002) 

Oil inflames Colombia's Civil War [refers to Occidental Petroleum] (Martin Hodgson, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2002)

Lawsuit Against Shell for Human Rights Violations in Nigeria to Proceed: A U.S. Federal Court has ruled that a civil lawsuit [Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.] charging multinational oil giant Shell with complicity in human rights violations will go forward. (EarthRights International, 5 Mar. 2002)

United Nations: Protect the Displaced in Angola - Government Should Provide Data on Oil and Diamond Revenue (Human Rights Watch, 5 Mar. 2002)

• {···français} Nations Unies : protéger les personnes déplacées en Angola - Le gouvernement devrait fournir des données sur les revenus tirés du pétrole et des diamants (Human Rights Watch, 5 mars 2002)

• {···português} Organização das Nações Unidas: Protecção dos Deslocados Internos em Angola (Human Rights Watch, 5 de Março de 2002)

{···español} Indígenas burlados por compañías petroleras [Ecuador]: Las comunidades huaorani de Ecuador aceptaron unos pocos alimentos, medicinas y utensilios a cambio de permitir a la petrolera italiana Agip Oil explorar su territorio, lo cual constituye "una burla a los derechos colectivos" de los indígenas, afirmó la organización ambientalista Acción Ecológica. (La Hora [Ecuador], 4 marzo 2002)

Ecuador Amazon Protests End; Army Control Lifted: Ecuador's government and Amazon jungle protestors struck an accord Monday that put an end to 10 days of violence that left one dead and dampened oil output, officials said...Lozada said one issue still under discussion is a demand by local leaders in Sucumbios that pipeline builder OCP Ecuador SA grant more development funds to the area, the heart of Ecuador's oil industry. (Amy Taxin, Reuters, 4 Mar. 2002)

• {···español} Concluyó paro amazónico (La Hora [Ecuador], 4 marzo 2002)

Nigeria sets $176 million fine for oil spills: Nigeria said oil tankers or production companies responsible for oil spills in its territorial waters could face a fine of up to $176 million. (Reuters, 4 Mar. 2002)

Man killed in oil rig accident [UK]: A 44-year-old oil worker has died in an accident on a drilling rig near Shetland. Andrew Graham, from Aberdeen, died on Saturday on a rig operated by the company Transocean Sedcoforex...It was operating 86-miles west of Shetland, in BP's Schiehallion Field. (BBC News, 3 Mar. 2002)

The World Bank’s ‘Extractive Industries Review’ - The Extractive Industries Review (EIR) is an initiative of the World Bank, undertaken mainly at the prompting of US-based NGOs and members of Friends of the Earth-International, to work out how it should deal with the oil, gas and mining sectors. (Marcus Colchester, Director, Forest Peoples Programme, 1 March 2002)

Carbon plant union files lawsuit [USA]: The union that represents workers at the Continental Carbon plant filed a notice of intent to sue this week against the company, alleging violations of environmental regulations that jeopardize worker safety...The union alleges that Continental Carbon [which converts carbon black oil, a byproduct of oil refining, into carbon black, which is used in tires and plastic products] handles and disposes of hazardous waste without proper permits or procedures to protect workers or the local environment. (Greg Cunningham, Amarillo Globe-News [USA], 1 Mar. 2002)

Yunnan Gas Accident Verdict [China]: The owners of an illegal coal mine in the southwestern province of Yunnan have received jail sentences for causing serious industrial casualties. A gas explosion occurred on 14 January, 2002 at the mine in Wenshan county, killing 25 and injuring another 10 miners. (China Labour Bulletin [Source: Xinhuanet], 1 Mar. 2002)

Oil: A Life Cycle Analysis of its Health and Environmental Impacts [includes reference to case studies in Nigeria, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru] (Paul R. Epstein & Jesse Selber, eds., Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School, Mar. 2002)

{···español} Ecuador militariza dos provincias:...El factor desencadenante de las protestas es un nuevo oleoducto para crudos pesados que construye el consorcio OCP Ecuador S.A. (BBC Mundo, 28 febrero 2002)

Ecuador: Emergency Action Alert - OCP Protesters in Amazon Attacked by Military!...Protests against Ecuador’s new OCP pipeline turned fatal yesterday as thousands of striking OCP construction workers and local residents in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon were attacked by the country’s armed forces...For over thirty years, state and foreign oil companies like Texaco and Occidental Petroleum have pumped the region for billions of barrels of oil, while indigenous communities, local farmers, and townspeople have watched it descend into environmental, social, and economic ruin. (Amazon Watch, 28 Feb. 2002)

EPA Veteran Resigns Over Pollution Policy [USA]: A senior Environmental Protection Agency official resigned this week, protesting what he described as Bush administration efforts to undermine tough legal actions against dozens of aging coal-fired power plants and refineries that have violated federal emission standards. (Eric Pianin, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2002) 

Colombian Oilworkers' Leader Kidnapped (ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 28 Feb. 2002)

Ecuador hopes for settlement in ChevronTexaco case: Ecuador's attorney general said this week he is fighting to help indigenous groups settle a nine-year-old lawsuit charging that water contamination by oil giant Texaco Inc. caused more than $120 million in damages and injuries. (Manuela Badawy, Reuters, 28 Feb. 2002)

Ecuador jungle provinces in emergency over protests: Ecuador's President Gustavo Noboa decreed a state of emergency in two Amazon jungle provinces where protesters have blocked work on a $1.1 billion oil pipeline, a statement said. (Reuters, 26 Feb. 2002) 

Savimbi death offers peace and chance for reflection on natural resources that fund conflict in Angola and across Africa: Following nearly four decades of conflict, the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi on Friday offers a window for peace in Angola in which to address the role of oil and diamonds in funding the civil war. (Global Witness, 25 Feb. 2002)

• {···português} A morte de Savimbi oferece uma oportunidade para a Paz e para a reflexão sobre o problema do uso de recursos naturais no financiamento de conflito armado: Após quase quatro décadas de conflito armado, a morte do lider da UNITA Jonas Savimbi na sexta-feira oferece uma breve oportunidade para a Paz em Angola, na qual se deverá analisar o papel dos diamantes e do petróleo no financiamento da guerra civil. (Global Witness, 25 fevereiro 2002) 

human rights attorneys... announced the filing of an amended complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Talisman Energy Inc., adding the Islamic Government of Sudan as a co-defendant. The complaint alleges that Talisman and the government are violating the human rights of Christian and other non-Muslim minorities in Southern Sudan by conducting a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing to clear the land for oil exploitation. (Carey R. D'Avino and Stephen A. Whinston of Berger & Montague, PC, 25 Feb. 2002)

Petrobras to appeal $180 mln oil spill ruling: Brazil's state oil giant Petrobras said last week it would appeal a $180 million court award to fishermen following a major oil spill in Rio de Janeiro's scenic bay in January 2000. (Reuters, 25 Feb. 2002)

Talisman urged to pressure Sudan on human rights: Businesses indirectly linked to bloodshed, Amnesty says - Amnesty International [Amnesty International Canada] said yesterday it is the corporate duty of Calgary's Talisman Energy Corp. to press the Sudanese government on human rights violations following a particularly violent attack this week by an army helicopter that killed 17 unarmed, starving civilians. (Mike Blanchfield, Ottawa Citizen, 23 Feb. 2002)

New Study Exposes Bush Administration’s Roll Back of Clean Air Protections as National Disaster for Public Health: Oil giants could increase pollution by two to 140 times current emissions without triggering pollution control requirements (Earthjustice, 20 Feb. 2002)

• full report: Smokestack Rollback [USA]: How the Bush administration’s Clean Air Act proposals will increase toxic refinery pollution and jeopardize public health (Earthjustice, Lone Star Sierra Club, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Public Citizen’s Texas Office, & Texas SEED Coalition, Feb. 2002)

Verdict Still Out on Costa Rica Offshore Drilling: Although American companies Harken Energy and MKL-Xplorations purchased the rights to drill for oil off the coast of Costa Rica in 1998, drilling has not started as local organizations voice concerns. (Anne Moore Odell, SocialFunds.com, 20 Feb. 2002)

Emergency Week of Action Calls for Protection of the Peruvian Amazon: Demonstrations Across the Country Spotlight Citigroup's Investment in Controversial Fossil Fuel Projects (Rainforest Action Network, 20 Feb. 2002)

• Citibank Targeted by Wave of Student Protests: One of the world's largest full-service banks will be targeted by protests across the United States this week, as students urge their peers to dump student loans and credit cards from Citibank which they accuse of investing in environmentally-harmful projects. (Alison Raphael, OneWorld US, 19 Feb. 2002)

Kenyan MPs want government to reconsider Khartoum oil imports: Five MPs have called on the Government to reconsider its position on the importation of oil from the Sudan...They stated that involvement in the oil business with Sudan would compromise the drive to achieve peace in the country..."The oil revenue will definitely be channelled into building the government's war machine." (Eliud Chisika, East African Standard [Nairobi], 15 Feb. 2002)

{···español} Miles de indígenas afectados: El cáncer del petróleo [Ecuador] - Una alta incidencia de cáncer se manifiesta entre las comunidades asentadas en áreas petroleras de la Amazonia de Ecuador, y el riesgo de contraer esa enfermedad es allí tres veces superior a otras partes del país, asegura una investigación médica. (La Hora [Ecuador], 14 febrero 2002)

Oil, Drugs, and Diamonds: How Do Natural Resources Vary in their Impact on Civil War? (Professor Michael Ross, UCLA, produced for International Peace Academy project on Economic Agendas in Civil Wars, 13 Feb. 2002)

Companies 'face rising risks over human rights': Multinational companies face a growing risk of being associated with human rights violations, according to research published in London yesterday by Amnesty International and the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. The research examines the operations of 129 leading companies in 34 countries where human rights abuses including torture, forced child labour and denial of freedom of expression occur. (Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 13 Feb. 2002)

• full text: Business & Human Rights: A geography of corporate risk - Amnesty International and The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) have collaborated to produce a series of seven detailed world maps, which depict where human rights abuses and violations exist and where leading North American and European multinational companies are at risk of being associated with them. The suite of maps covers the extractive, food and beverages, pharmaceutical and chemical, infrastructure and utilities, heavy manufacturing and defence, and IT Hardware and telecommunications sectors. (Amnesty International UK, and Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, Feb. 2002)

• Atlas pinpoints countries where investment flows despite abuses: A world atlas of countries where multinationals co-exist with regimes inflicting human rights abuse was presented yesterday at the launch of a campaign for ethical investment...The study, the first of its kind, will be used by Amnesty International and the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum to press companies to take account of human rights when making commercial decisions. (Kim Sengupta, Independent [UK], 13 Feb. 2002)

• Atlas warns firms of rights abuses: Campaigners have drawn up a world atlas of human rights violations to alert multinational corporations to the damage that can be caused to their business and reputations by being associated with human rights abuses in countries in which they operate (Guardian [UK], 13 Feb. 2002)

Forests of Fear: Stopping human rights abuses is key to solving forest crisis - A new report clearly links the disappearance of the world's forests with the horrifying catalogue of human rights abuses taking place as a result of conflicts between forest peoples and the powerful government and corporate interests within forests. (Boreal Footprint Project, 12 Feb. 2002)

• full report: Forests of Fear: The Abuse of Human Rights in Forest Conflicts [refers to countries including Indonesia, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Kenya, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Venezuela, Brazil, USA; refers to companies including Tanjung Lingga, London Sumatra, TVI, Rio Tinto, Daishowa Logging, RAPP, April, UPM-Kymmene, Samling, Lajung Lumber, Shin Yang, Rawood, Interfor (International Forest Products), Boise Cascade, Repap, Fletcher Challenge (now TimberWest), Mitsubishi, Occidental Petroleum, Freeport-McMoRan, Chevron]  (Fern, Dec. 2001)

Sudan: High stakes - Fueled by faith and oil, war 'has become a way of life' - Relief workers say the government has adopted a scorched-earth policy to force civilians away from profitable oil fields in the south --- discovered in 1978 and developed in part with bin Laden's money --- in order to sell extraction rights to the West. (Moni Basu, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7 Feb. 2002)

Oil brings death, war to southern Sudan: A report issued this week says hundreds of Sudanese civilians were being killed, raped and displaced in a "war for oil" that has gripped the vast African nation for the past three years. The report by Christian Aid, an international NGO, says human rights violations were being committed in the oil-rich areas of Sudan where both the government and oil companies were oblivious to the outcry of the outside world...The report goes further to name oil companies such as Canada's Talisman Energy, Sweden's Lundin Oil, Malaysia's Petronas and China's state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation as some business partners of the Sudanese government who are causing untold suffering in the southern part of the country. (Tervil Okoko, PANA, 7 Feb. 2002)

Alaskan Wilderness Oil Drilling Risky to Shareowner Value: A shareowner resolution asks BP to assess the damage to its reputation that would result from oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, and a new study highlights the economic risks of drilling. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 7 Feb. 2002)

Blast rips through Polish coal mine: At least 10 miners have been killed in an accident at a coal mine in Poland. (BBC News, 6 Feb. 2002)

Chemical leak contained at Chevron S.F. refinery: A release at the ChevronTexaco Corp. refinery in Richmond, California sent chemicals spewing into the air last week, spurring county health officials to warn residents to remain indoors. (Reuters, 4 Feb. 2002) 

Sudan Oil May Be Funding War -- Yet Offers Best Chance For Stable Future: The oil boom is why critics of Sudan's government say that foreign oil companies - especially companies from Western democracies - have no business helping to prop up Sudan's war machine. (St. Louis Post - Dispatch, 3 Feb. 2002)

Indigenous Peoples Meet at First Indigenous Peoples Global Conference to Set Priorities and Impact New UN Body [U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues] - Peru President Alejandro Toledo to Give Keynote Address Via Video - New York City - February 21-24, 2002:...Workshops will examine the impact of economic development and extractive industries (oil, diamonds and uranium). (Partnership for Indigenous Peoples Environment, 1 Feb. 2002)

Being seen to be green helps corporate image: An FT survey that gave companies plaudits for their environmental record included some surprise choices [includes reference to Body Shop, BP, Royal Dutch/Shell, Toyota, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Vivendi, Honda, Ford, Siemens, GE, IBM, Volkswagen, ExxonMobil, Ben & Jerry's, McDonalds] (Michael Skapinker, Financial Times, 1 Feb. 2002)

• Due recognition given for effort [environmental record of companies, examined in Financial Times Survey of "World's Most Respected Companies"]  (Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 13 Dec. 2001)

• Company rankings [by media & NGOs] - 2001 - Companies that best manage and effect environmental resources (Financial Times, 12 Dec. 2001)

• Company rankings [by CEOs] - 2001 - Companies that best manage and effect environmental resources (Financial Times, 12 Dec. 2001)

Exxon Mobil under fire [Aceh]: Recent attacks against oil and gas company Exxon Mobil in the war-scarred territory of Aceh have brought security concerns to the fore again, as Megawati's government struggles to convince investors they should bring their money back to Indonesia. The US company is also under attack internationally for its association with human rights violations in Aceh, for its poor environmental record and for its obstruction of positive action on global warming. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002) 

• company's website: Statement Regarding NGO Human Rights Lawsuit [regarding the company's alleged conduct in Aceh, Indonesia] (ExxonMobil, 25 June 2001)

BP and the Tangguh test [West Papua]: Since DTE last reported on this project in August 2001 (DTE 50), the international profile of BP's Tangguh gas development in West Papua has established it as a "test case" for putting good corporate intentions into practice. However, questions remain over how sincere BP is in carrying out its commitments. And how far external factors - like the Indonesian military - will limit the company's capacity to do so. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2002) 

• company website: Indonesia: This report is about the Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Papua, Indonesia (BP)

Ecuador, Defending the Amazon (Peter Lippman, The Advocacy Project, Feb. 2002)

chapters include:

• Introduction: Environmental Assault and Grassroots Resistance - For thirty years, one of the richest bioregions on the planet has been under assault from international oil companies. 

• Risky Business: The Oil Industry and Its Legacy of Pollution [refers to Texaco, Arco, Agip]

• The New Oil Pipeline: A Long Battle

• Legal Issues: The Right to Consultation and the Texaco Lawsuit

Oil firm's exit [Sudan]: The first crack? An oil firm [Sweden's Lundin Petroleum] has quit Sudan for the second time in as many years. Citing insecurity, the firm's officials stressed that only a comprehensive ceasefire will make it resume operations...It is also not known who should get the credit for Lundin's second exit in two years: the human rights, church, and relief workers lobby that has been calling for a stoppage of oil exploration until peace reigns in Sudan, or southern rebels who have declared oil installations legitimate military targets (Matthias Muindi, AFRICANEWS, Feb. 2002)

Sudan: Seize This Serious Chance to End a Long Civil War - The war in Sudan is Africa's longest, most harrowing and most complex – with religion, oil, ethnicity and ideology all driving the conflict. (Gareth Evans and John Prendergast, International Crisis Group, in International Herald Tribune, 29 Jan. 2002)

• God, Oil and Country: Changing the Logic of War in Sudan (International Crisis Group, 28 Jan. 2002) 

Two explosions in Chinese coal mine: At least 27 miners have been killed in two explosions at a coal mine in northern China...Official figures show that more than 5,000 miners died last year, but independent analysts say around 10,000 miners die each year in Chinese coal mines. (BBC News, 28 Jan. 2002)

U.S. proposes $5.5 million Murphy Oil fine: Murphy Oil USA, Inc. would pay a $5.5 million fine and spend $12.5 million to cut sulfur dioxide emissions at a Wisconsin refinery under a proposed deal announced Thursday by state and federal authorities. (Reuters, 28 Jan. 2002) 

PSEG to spend $300 million on clean air compliance [USA]: Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. said on Thursday it had agreed to spend $300 million over 10 years to install equipment to limit air pollution at its New Jersey coal-fired power plants in a settlement with federal and state regulators. (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 28 Jan. 2002)  

Thailand says coal power plants need to prove case: Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Saturday two controversial coal-fired power stations could be given the go ahead if they prove new technology will limit their environmental impact. (Reuters, 28 Jan. 2002) 

V.P Njie Saidy Launches Shell African Aids Initiative (Daily Observer [Gambia], 25 Jan. 2002)

Sierra Club Files Suit Against Cheney's Energy Task Force [USA]: Case Asserts Task Force Kept Public Out, Dealt with Oil Companies Behind Closed Doors -...After numerous attempts by Congress and others to find out how much influence polluting industries had in drafting the energy plan, the Sierra Club is forced to file a suit today against Vice President Cheney's Energy Task Force, which prepared the proposal. (Sierra Club, 25 Jan. 2002)

Greenwash + 10: The UN's Global Compact, Corporate Accountability and the Johannesburg Earth Summit [includes reference to Royal Dutch/Shell] (Kenny Bruno, CorpWatch, 24 Jan. 2002)

• company website: Shell (Royal Dutch/Shell)

Greens invoke profit motive for annual attack on BP: Green groups and ethical shareholders whose radical proposals have hijacked oil firm BP's annual meetings twice before will this year appeal to investors' pockets rather than to their hearts. On April 18 shareholders will vote on a World Wildlife Fund resolution calling on the British multinational to disclose how it measures the risks to its investors of drilling in environmentally sensitive areas (Andrew Callus, Reuters, 24 Jan. 2002)

Freeze on Oil Operations Fuels Sudan Peace Hopes: An announcement Tuesday that a major Swedish oil company [Lundin Oil] has suspended operations in Sudan has boosted hopes that a recently-launched peace process to end 18 years of civil war may gain momentum...The company--which has been strongly criticized by human rights and church groups for allegedly providing logistical assistance to the Islamic regime in Khartoum during the war against mainly Christian and animist rebels in the south--said it was also "hopeful" that a regional ceasefire agreement reached in Switzerland last weekend will be extended to all parts of Sudan to "allow an early resumption" of Lundin's activities. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 23 Jan. 2002)

Lundin [oil company] says suspends oil drilling at Sudan well:...Lundin...said the suspension was a precautionary measure meant to ensure security of its personnel. (Reuters, 22 Jan. 2002)

Indigenous Peoples Decry War and Oil: Native peoples from nine countries of Latin America and the Caribbean drew up strategies and issued declarations against the anti-drug Plan Colombia, the Colombian civil war and against petroleum and mining activities on their lands, during a weekend meet in the Ecuadorian capital. (Kintto Lucas, Inter Press Service, 21 Jan. 2002)

Former Shell chief calls for more renewable energy: The former head of world number two oil group Royal Dutch/Shell last week called for western nations to increase renewable energy targets and bring down the cost of green energy technology (Matthew Jones, Reuters, 21 Jan. 2002) 

BP fined £1m for safety breaches [UK] - BP has been fined £1 million for safety breaches at its Grangemouth plant. (Ananova, 18 Jan. 2002)

Governments challenged to back green energy: Former Shell boss, Sir Mark Moody Stuart today challenged Western Governments to increase their renewable energy targets, at the launch of The Body Shop and Greenpeace International campaign, Choose Positive Energy. (Body Shop & Greenpeace, Choose Positive Energy campaign, 18 Jan. 2002)

Bauchi NLC Raises Posers On Excess Oil Revenue [Nigeria]: The Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the Federal Government to account for the excess revenue which accrued to it by way of fuel price increases and favourable international price of crude oil. (This Day [Lagos], 18 Jan. 2002)

US utility pollution lawsuits detailed: The U.S. Justice Department said this week it would continue to prosecute seven lawsuits filed by the Clinton administration against coal-fired utilities which allegedly expanded old plants without installing new air pollution controls [companies sued were FirstEnergy Corp, Duke Energy Corp, Vectren Corp's Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Co, Dynegy Inc's Illinois Power, Cinergy Corp, American Electric Power Co and Southern Co] (Reuters, 17 Jan. 2002)

• Bush admin won't drop utility pollution lawsuits:...green groups said it was a hollow victory because the emissions law is likely to be relaxed in the future (Chris Baltimore, Reuters, 17 Jan. 2002) 

Nigeria: Focus on environmental remediation in oil region - ...To help deal with the huge environmental damage caused by oil spills, Shell (the biggest operator in Nigeria which has most of its operations onshore and is, therefore, responsible for most of the spills) has evolved a scheme whereby communities are involved in the remediation efforts. (IRIN - U.N. Integrated Regional Information Network, 17 Jan. 2002)

Settlement Reached on Air Pollution Lawsuit in California's San Joaquin Valley: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agrees to end its years of neglect -...EPA’s lengthy period of neglect of air quality planning has particularly grave consequences in San Joaquin Valley, whose residents suffer from high rates of respiratory diseases, while big agricultural interests and the oil industry have repeatedly stymied the local Air District from making progress. (Earthjustice, 15 Jan. 2002)

OSHA Fines Motiva Enterprises, LLC More Than $250,000 After Fatal July Accident [USA]: Lack of Tank Inspections Cited - The death of one worker and the injuries suffered by six others in a July 2001 tank explosion at Motiva Enterprises, LLC oil refinery, has led to proposed penalties of $259,000 (OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 14 Jan. 2002)

• Company Fined in Del. [Delaware] Refinery Fire [USA]: Motiva Enterprises has been fined $259,000 for failing to inspect a refinery tank that exploded and killed a worker last summer (Associated Press, 14 Jan. 2002)

MPs [members of Kenya's parliament] Slam Import of Sudan Oil:...Those opposed to the oil deal argue that the Khartoum government will use the oil, which is mined in the southern part of the country, to buy weapons which would be used against the southerners. (Njue Lloyd, East African Standard [Kenya], 9 Jan. 2002)

ALBANIA: UNEP [U.N. Environment Programme] Assessment Says Refinery Is Major Pollution Source (UN Wire, 9 Jan. 2002)

Phillips [Phillips Petroleum], Equilon [owned by Royal Dutch/Shell]  fined for California air violations (Reuters, 9 Jan. 2002)

Thai PM says gas pipeline needs more assessment: Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Saturday called for further environmental assessment of a controversial Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline project (Reuters, 7 Jan. 2002) 

Walden Asset Management Announces Shareholder Advocacy Actions for 2002 [includes shareholder resolutions on the following issues & companies: Climate Change - Exxon Mobil, ChevronTexaco and Occidental Petroleum; Mercury Pollution - J.C. Penney and HCA; Indigenous Peoples' Rights - Lehman Brothers; Sweatshop/Vendor Standards - TJX, Kohl's, Delphi Automotive, Hasbro, Sears and Lowes; Health Risk Caused by Cigarette Filters - Eastman Chemical; Drug Accessibility - Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb; impact of drilling in environmentally sensitive areas - BP Amoco] (Walden Asset Management, 4 Jan. 2002)

Texas companies settle safety and health violations: Will pay more than $2.1 million in penalties, hire safety and health consultants - Phillips Petroleum Company has agreed to pay over $2 million in penalties for safety and health violations at its complex in Pasadena, Texas...Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, which now owns and operates the facility, will hire dedicated safety and health consultants to ensure compliance with OSHA's process safety management standards. (OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 3 Jan. 2002)

Tough emission norms to cost Indian refiners $7 bln: Indian refineries need to invest 350 billion rupees ($7.25 billion) in the next eight years to improve the quality of fuels to abide by strict emission norms, a government report said...The report...also said India's automobile industry would need to invest about 250 billion rupees on technology to reduce emissions from vehicles. (Reuters, 3 Jan. 2002)

BP Foundation aids action against poverty in East Timor: The BP Foundation is partnering with UNDP and Save the Children Federation to help raise living standards in East Timor. (U.N. Development Programme, 3 Jan. 2002)

Companies in Conflict Situations: Extractive Companies in Indonesia [refers to ExxonMobil, Caltex, Freeport-McMoRan] (Oxford Analytica, prepared for the International Business Leaders Forum and TimeFORTUNE as part of the monthly changing corporate roles and responsibilities series, Jan. 2002)

Corporate Complicity From Nuremberg to Rangoon: An Examination of Forced Labor Cases and Their Impact on the Liability of Multinational Corporations - Abstract: The article looks at nature and degree of complicity that gives rise to liability on the part of multinational corporations (MNCs) that operate in countries with repressive regimes. Specifically, it examines lawsuits in United States against these MNCs for violations of public international law under the federal Alien Torts Claim Act (ATCA). It also views the historical origins of corporate complicity, and examines the outcomes of British and American war crimes tribunal set up after the Second World War. Further, the article compares and contrasts these historical cases with the recent case brought in the federal district court against Unocal Corporation for alleged use of force labor in its pipeline project in Burma. (Professor Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington School of Law, in Berkeley Journal of International Law, vol. 20 no. 1, 2002)

Environmental and Social Responsibility Resolutions Filed for 2002 [relating to ExxonMobil] (Campaign ExxonMobil)

Doe v. Unocal: Forced Labor and Corporate Liability [Burma] - Burmese villagers brought a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court charging the consortium with profiting from forced labor. "Doe v. Unocal: Forced Labor and Corporate Liability" presents a legal issue: whether Unocal is liable for the human rights violations of its government joint venture partner. (Howard Tolley, Jr. & Anne Lawrence, THRO - Teaching Human Rights Online, Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, 2002)

• Doe v. Unocal: Case Outline

• Audio of the opening Arguments and Rebuttals in the Doe vs Unocal case