Archive for February 26th, 2013

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26/02/2013

UN Calls for Elimination of Child Labour in Livestock Sector

Human Wrongs Watch

Governments, farmer organizations and rural families must all be involved to eliminate child labour in the livestock sector, which is a widespread and largely ignored practice, according to a new United Nations report.

A young boy tends to his cattle. Photo: FAO/Giuseppe Bizzarri

A young boy tends to his cattle. Photo: FAO/Giuseppe Bizzarri

The report, Children’s work in the livestock sector: Herding and beyond, found that agriculture accounts for most of the reported child labour in the world, with livestock accounting for some 40 per cent of the agricultural economy.

While there have been global efforts to tackle child labour in agriculture, the report, produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), argues that the livestock sector has received much less attention. In some parts of the world, children start herding at a young age, ranging from five to seven years old.

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26/02/2013

‘Big 10’ Food, Beverage Companies Failing Millions of People Who Supply Them with Land, Labor, Water…

Human Wrongs Watch

By Oxfam International*, 26 February 2013 – The social and environmental policies of the world’s ten biggest food and beverage giants are not fit for modern purpose and need a major shake-up, says international agency Oxfam.

Source of photo: Oxfam

Source: Oxfam

The “Big 10” food and beverage companies – that together make $1 billion-a-day – are failing millions of people in developing countries who supply land, labor, water and commodities needed to make their products.

Behind the Brands – part of Oxfam’s GROW campaign to fix the broken food system – for the first time ranks the agricultural policies, public commitments and supply chain oversight of Associated British Foods (ABF), Coca Cola, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Mars, Mondelez, Nestlé, Pepsico and Unilever.

ABF (19%), Kellogg’s (23%) and General Mills (23%) scored most poorly. They have weaker policies than Coca-Cola (41%), Unilever (49%) and Nestle (54%) for example.

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26/02/2013

UN Calls for ‘Independent Investigation’ into Death of Palestinian in Israeli Detention

Human Wrongs Watch

A senior UN official voiced concern about the death in Israeli detention of Arafat Jaradat and called for an “independent and transparent investigation” into the circumstances of the Palestinian’s death.

Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons similar to this one. Photo: IRIN

Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons similar to this one. Photo: IRIN

Mr. Jaradat, who was arrested on 18 February, died on Saturday, according to a statement released on 25 February 2013.by the office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry.

“The Special Coordinator takes note of the preliminary findings of the autopsy that was conducted on Mr. Jaradat’s body with the participation of Israeli and Palestinian experts,” said the statement.

“The United Nations expects the autopsy to be followed by an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Jaradat’s death, the results of which should be made public as soon as possible.”

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26/02/2013

West African Stability Still Endangered by Global Traffickers – UN Warns

Human Wrongs Watch

Cocaine trafficking, the smuggling of migrants, and the trafficking of fraudulent pharmaceuticals are among the numerous damaging illegal activities perpetrated by transnational organized crime syndicates which continue to fuel instability across West Africa, a new United Nations report* has warned.

Credit: UN Photo/UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau

Credit: UN Photo/UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau

The report, a threat assessment issued by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and entitled Transnational Organized Crime in West Africa, cautions that the profit from cocaine trafficking alone may still be larger than the national security budgets of several West African countries, causing difficulties for local law enforcement.

In addition, it notes that West African criminal groups have become increasingly independent and enterprising in their ability to bring drugs into the region.

“Transnational organized crime is clearly a serious threat to West Africa,” Pierre Lapaque, the UNODC Regional Representative for West and Central Africa, said in a press statement marking the report’s release.

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26/02/2013

What France Wants in Mali

Human Wrongs Watch

Canadian writer and antiwar activist Roger Annis* untangles the web of lies and deceptions that obscure the French and U.S. strategy for Mali.

A French soldier patrols a small village in Mali | SocialistWorker

A French soldier patrols a small village in Mali | SocialistWorker

By Roger Annis*, Socialist Worker*, 25 February 2013 – Two large deceptions are embedded in most news reports and government statements backing France’s military intervention into Mali six weeks ago. The first concerns the circumstances leading to France’s unilateral decision to invade Mali on January 11.

It was a quick decision, says France, prompted by unforeseen military threats by Islamic fundamentalist forces against the South of the country, including the capital city of Bamako.

The second is the claim by France that it wants to exit Mali as soon as possible.

“French leaders have said they intend to start pulling out the 4,000 troops in Mali in March to hand over security to the Malian army and to the U.N.-backed AFISMA force, an African military contingent,” says a typical report in the Chicago Tribune on February 18.

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