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For Immediate Release
June, 23 2010, 09:37am EDT
Contact:
Christina Rossi
617-306-0920
crossi@stopcorporateabuse.org
Report: Water Corporations Use United Nations to Bluewash Abuses
10th Anniversary of PR Initiative Celebrated in New York, Protested Globally
NEW YORK, NY
Corporate Accountability International released a report today,
"Water Governance: For the People or for the Bottom Line?" examining
how a joint United Nations-corporate initiative threatens the way water
resources are managed globally. Its release precedes the 10th
anniversary gathering for the United Nations Global Compact this week.
The Compact's CEO Water Mandate is a voluntary initiative addressing
the human right to water by partnering with corporations contributing
to and profiting from today's global water crisis.
"The United Nations is in a state of conflict. On the one hand, it
tries to promote democratic water governance as the key to solving the
global water crisis," said Kelle Louaillier, Corporate Accountability
International executive director. "On the other, it partners with
corporations that profit from water scarcity and commodification. It's
a recipe for millions going thirsty to satisfy the thirst for profit of
a handful of corporations."
tries to promote democratic water governance as the key to solving the
global water crisis," said Kelle Louaillier, Corporate Accountability
International executive director. "On the other, it partners with
corporations that profit from water scarcity and commodification. It's
a recipe for millions going thirsty to satisfy the thirst for profit of
a handful of corporations."
For the last three years, civil society has called on
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to withdraw United Nations support from
the Mandate. This week a "transparency framework" will be released in
an attempt to placate the Mandate's critics. But as Corporate
Accountability International's report points out, the problem with the
Mandate is rooted in its very structure.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to withdraw United Nations support from
the Mandate. This week a "transparency framework" will be released in
an attempt to placate the Mandate's critics. But as Corporate
Accountability International's report points out, the problem with the
Mandate is rooted in its very structure.
"The core problem is that the Mandate's presence within the United
Nations is itself a fundamental conflict of interest," said Louaillier.
"The United Nation's sponsorship trades accountability for
'partnership,' blurring the lines between the private and public
sector. This institutionalizes - rather than guards against -
relationships with corporations that pose real and potential conflicts
of interest, which is particularly dangerous when it comes to water."
Nations is itself a fundamental conflict of interest," said Louaillier.
"The United Nation's sponsorship trades accountability for
'partnership,' blurring the lines between the private and public
sector. This institutionalizes - rather than guards against -
relationships with corporations that pose real and potential conflicts
of interest, which is particularly dangerous when it comes to water."
"Water Governance: For the People or for the Bottom Line?" draws
attention to recently adopted, strong guidelines protecting against
such corporate conflicts of interest in the global tobacco treaty--one
of the most quickly and widely embraced treaties in United Nations'
history. Corporate Accountability International is calling on the
United Nations to establish clear and enforceable standards across U.N.
agencies that protect the public interest from corporate conflicts of
interest.
attention to recently adopted, strong guidelines protecting against
such corporate conflicts of interest in the global tobacco treaty--one
of the most quickly and widely embraced treaties in United Nations'
history. Corporate Accountability International is calling on the
United Nations to establish clear and enforceable standards across U.N.
agencies that protect the public interest from corporate conflicts of
interest.
"Issues like the global water crisis are too important to be
shaped by the corporate bottom line - the world's people, not the
world's largest corporations should be in the driver's seat," said
Louaillier.
shaped by the corporate bottom line - the world's people, not the
world's largest corporations should be in the driver's seat," said
Louaillier.
Key Recommendations
Governments must safeguard against conflicts of interest,
including avoiding situations when voluntary initiatives or
partnerships undermine governments' effectiveness, objectivity and
credibility.
including avoiding situations when voluntary initiatives or
partnerships undermine governments' effectiveness, objectivity and
credibility.
The United Nations should have stronger standards and safeguards
throughout the institution as a whole to prevent and address corporate
conflicts of interest. The U.N. should not be the institutional home
for initiatives that are conceived of and driven by corporations.
throughout the institution as a whole to prevent and address corporate
conflicts of interest. The U.N. should not be the institutional home
for initiatives that are conceived of and driven by corporations.
Swift and concrete action by the U.N. is needed to address the
concerns raised in this paper. Our recommendations for such action are
as follows:
concerns raised in this paper. Our recommendations for such action are
as follows:
* Have the United Nations establish clear and enforceable
standards preventing corporate conflict of interest, based on the
principles set forth in the FCTC's Article 5.3 that guard against
conflicts of interest and preserve and protect the primacy of human
rights over commercial enterprise.
standards preventing corporate conflict of interest, based on the
principles set forth in the FCTC's Article 5.3 that guard against
conflicts of interest and preserve and protect the primacy of human
rights over commercial enterprise.
* Have the United Nations withdraw its institutional support from the CEO Water Mandate.
Corporate Accountability stops transnational corporations from devastating democracy, trampling human rights, and destroying our planet.
(617) 695-2525LATEST NEWS
'Landmark Victory': New York Passes Nation's First Legislation Restricting Bee-Killing Pesticides
The Birds and Bees Protection Act would eliminate 80 to 90% of the neonics used in New York each year by banning applications that are either easily replaceable or do not give an economic boost to farmers.
Jun 10, 2023
New York state on Friday became the first state in the nation to pass legislation restricting neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics) that are toxic to bees and other pollinators and wildlife.
The Birds and Bees Protection Act would eliminate 80 to 90% of the neonics used in New York each year by banning applications that are either easily replaceable or do not give an economic boost to farmers.
"Every year for the past decade, New York beekeepers have lost more than 40% of their bee colonies—largely due to neonic pesticides," bill sponsor State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement. "Today, in this landmark victory for our pollinators, economy, and farming industry, New York is working to reverse that trend."
\u201cHUGE thank you to @bradhoylman and @SenatorHarckham in getting The Birds and Bees Protection Act through the Senate. What a victory for pollinators, clean water, and healthy communities \ud83d\udc1d\ud83d\udc1b\ud83c\udf0e\ud83c\udf33\ud83e\udd86\u201d— SC Atlantic Chapter (@SC Atlantic Chapter) 1686179366
The bill passed the New York State Senate on Wednesday and the New York State Assembly on Friday and now goes to Gov. Kathy Hochul for signature. It bans the use of neonics to coat corn, soybean, and wheat seeds as well as for lawns and gardens.
"Pollinators are vital members of healthy ecosystems and our food supply chain," New York Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick said in a statement. "Protecting them by limiting toxins that pose adverse effects and health risks is an important step forward in our work to stop poisoning the environment and create a healthier New York."
\u201c@DeborahJGlick you've been a tireless leader on A7640. THANK YOU for your dedication to getting the Birds and Bees Protection Act passed this year.\u201d— SC Atlantic Chapter (@SC Atlantic Chapter) 1686360116
Neonics are a class of pesticides that work by attacking the nervous systems of insect pests, as the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) explains. A lethal dose will cause paralysis and death, while non-lethal effects include memory, immune, navigation, and fertility problems.
They are one of the deadliest pesticides out there, yet they are also the leading insecticide used in the U.S. This is a problem because about 95% of neonics used to coat seeds don't enter the plant at all, but instead spread into the environment via the soil, where they do not break down easily.
The concern is that neonics don't just harm target species but also beneficial insects like bees and butterflies.
"It's critical that we passed this bill to protect the health of humans and other living beings on our planet."
"They also harm the development of birds and mammals; and studies have linked ingredients of neoicotinoid insecticides with adverse human health outcomes as well," New York state Sen. Pete Harckham, another bill supporter, said in a statement. "It's critical that we passed this bill to protect the health of humans and other living beings on our planet."
The legislation was based in part on a Cornell University study that found that most neonic use in New York did not actually provide an economic benefit or could easily be swapped out for a safer alternative. It also comes about a month after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessment found that three common neonic chemicals threaten 11% of the species on the U.S. endangered species list.
"The Birds and the Bees Protection Act is the first-in-the-nation to limit neonic coated seeds, which contaminate our soil, our waterways, and our bodies," Dan Raichel, the acting director of NRDC's Pollinator Initiative, said in a statement. "We've long known neonics kill bees, but we now see links between neonics and mass losses of birds, the collapse of fisheries, developmental risks in people, and vast water contamination in New York."
The U.S. has long lagged behind similar countries in regulating neonics. The EU has banned their outdoor use, and Canada has largely stopped using them to coat seeds.
The new legislation was passed a little more than a week after the Center for Food Safety and the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) sued the EPA over its failure to regulate the toxic chemicals.
"For too long, EPA has allowed pesticide-coated seeds to jeopardize threatened and endangered species across the country."
"For too long, EPA has allowed pesticide-coated seeds to jeopardize threatened and endangered species across the country," PANNA senior scientist and plaintiff Margaret Reeves said in a statement at the time. "EPA must close the regulatory loophole for toxic pesticide-coated seeds to prevent further harm to wildlife, ecosystems, and people."
While environmental groups continue to push for national regulations, they celebrated change in New York.
"Today is a great day for pollinators, clean water, and healthier communities," Caitlin Ferrante, the conservation program manager of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, said in a statement.
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'Tax Scam': Republicans Follow Debt Ceiling Fight by Proposing Tax Cuts for Wealthy
"If House Republicans were actually serious about the deficit, they would demand wealthy corporations pay their fair share in taxes," one advocate said.
Jun 10, 2023
After threatening to force the government into default over the debt ceiling, Republican lawmakers Friday introduced new tax cuts that could add at least $21 billion to the national deficit over the next decade.
Three new GOP-backed bills would cut taxes for large companies, small businesses, and individual families while reducing clean energy tax incentives to pay for it.
"It's Republican clockwork," the ranking member on the Ways and Means Committee Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) said in a statement. "Not even a week after their manufactured default crisis and it is back to tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected."
"Not even a week after their manufactured default crisis and it is back to tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected."
"This stoops to a new low even for them: retroactive corporate tax cuts, next-to-nothing for the most vulnerable children and families, and sneaking in favors for Big Oil," he continued. "Make no mistake about it, they are laying the groundwork for even bigger cuts in 2025, and the only way they will ever achieve a balanced budget is by sticking seniors and working families with the bill."
\u201cYesterday, the latest #GOPTaxScam\u00a0was introduced. Not even a week since Republicans brought our nation to the brink of economic ruin, and they are already two-stepping into tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected.\n\nMy full statement\u00a0\u2b07\ufe0f\u00a0https://t.co/W4jFSGiWZ2\u201d— Rep. Richard Neal (@Rep. Richard Neal) 1686406849
The cuts come in the American Families and Jobs Act, introduced Friday by Ways and Means Committee leader Rep. Jason T. Smith (R-Mo.). That act is comprised of three different bills.
The first, The Washington Post explained, would reinstate corporate tax breaks related to spending on interest, equipment, and research for a limited time.
It would also roll back some provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by limiting tax credits for electric vehicles, barring tax payers from using those credits for used vehicles, ending tax credits to incentivize clean energy production and investments, and repealing a tax on toxic chemical waste sites.
The elimination of the green energy tax credits are expected to pay for $216 billion of the tax cuts' $240 billion price tag over the next decade, POLITICO reported.
Neal pointed out the ironic timing of the proposed swap, noting that, "while Americans are sheltering inside to avoid the fallout of climate-spurred wildfires, Republicans think now is a good time to repeal the largest climate investment in our history to pay for their corporate handouts."
"While Americans are sheltering inside to avoid the fallout of climate-spurred wildfires, Republicans think now is a good time to repeal the largest climate investment in our history to pay for their corporate handouts."
The second and third bills would increase deductions for families making less than $400,000 over the next two years and get rid of a requirement that taxpayers report Venmo or similar transactions over $600, a measure aimed at small businesses, The Washington Post explained.
"These policies will provide relief for working families, strengthen small businesses, grow jobs, and protect American innovation and competitiveness," Smith said in a statement.
\u201c.@WaysandMeansGOP just introduced the American Families and Jobs Act to give families and small businesses a fighting chance in Biden\u2019s economy:\n\n\u2705 Put money in families\u2019 pocket stolen by inflation\n\u2705Help small businesses grow\n\u2705Secure our supply chains\u201d— Rep. Jason Smith (@Rep. Jason Smith) 1686342570
However, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called them a "tax scam," as Reuters reported, adding that the GOP's "priority isn't reducing the deficit or out-competing the world, their priority is giving handouts to rich special interests and corporations at the expense of everyone else."
Exactly how much Republican plans would add to the deficit is a matter of debate. The nonpartisan Join Committee on Taxation calculated a total of $21 billion over the next 10 years, The Washington Post reported.
However, the bills extend Trump tax breaks for businesses through 2025, but Republicans have said they would like to make them permanent. If they succeeded, it could cost the government a little under $500 billion, the Tax Policy Center said, and the dividend would largely go to high-earning Americans.
"If House Republicans were actually serious about the deficit, they would demand wealthy corporations pay their fair share in taxes," Liz Zelnick, director of Accountable.US' Economic Security & Corporate Power, said in a statement responding to the new bills. "Instead, they're giving billions in wasteful tax giveaways to greedy corporations, instead of making critical investments in American families and communities."
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Wyden Calls McCarthy Social Security Commission 'A Glide Path to Reduce Benefits'
"Everything I've heard about it, it's a prescription for trouble," the Senate Finance Committee chair said of the House speaker's debt reduction panel.
Jun 09, 2023
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden on Friday warned that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's commission tasked with reducing the nation's growing debt is a "prescription for trouble" that will likely result in the slashing of vital programs on which tens of millions of Americans rely—including Social Security.
McCarthy (R-Calif.) recently announced the launch of a fiscal commission that will find ways to reduce the national debt—on the heels of striking a deal with President Joe Biden to suspend the nation's borrowing limit until 2025.
While some other leading Republicans have embraced the idea of a commission, many Democrats are wary.
Wyden (D-Ore.), who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, toldThe Associated Press that he views the plan as a way for Republicans to rack up "ideological trophies."
"Everything I've heard about it, it's a prescription for trouble," Wyden said, adding that Republicans are "looking at a glide path to reduce benefits."
Biden was loudly booed by GOP lawmakers during his State of the Union address in February when he accused some Republicans of wanting to "sunset" Social Security, prompting McCarthy to shake his head no. A week earlier, McCarthy had asserted that cuts to Social Security and Medicare—each of which serve more than 65 million Americans—were off the table.
However, last month McCarthy alleged that Biden "walled off" cuts to Social Security and Medicare during the debt ceiling talks and said the commission would "look at" reducing funding for both programs.
"I'm going to make some people uncomfortable," the speaker said.
\u201cAfter trying to cut veterans benefits and funding for law enforcement during the debt ceiling negotiations, House Republicans will now create a commission to cut Social Security and Medicare.\n\nIt\u2019s Kevin McCarthy with Pandora\u2019s Box.\u201d— Mondaire Jones (@Mondaire Jones) 1685995803
In response to McCarthy's commission launch, Andrew Bates, the White House deputy press secretary and senior communications adviser, issued a memo warning that Republicans are going after Social Security, despite previous pledges.
"These new statements from the speaker demonstrate that the House GOP are reversing the promise they made to President Biden and the country in the State of the Union, and that to shield billionaires and multinational corporations from paying a cent more in taxes, they very much intend to slash Americans' Medicare and Social Security benefits," Bates wrote.
"The American people—including majorities of conservatives—reject that approach, and support President Biden's work to stand up for the benefits they pay their entire lives to earn," he added.
Advocacy groups also panned the idea of a GOP-led fiscal commission.
"Kevin McCarthy's commission is a scheme to cut Social Security and Medicare behind closed doors," Social Security Workstweeted Friday. "Hands off our earned benefits!"
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