Topic: Corporate power
Convening world conference on tax evasion should be priority for next Secretary-General – UN expert
Blog / 18th October 2016The newly selected UN Secretary-General António Guterres should convene a world conference on tax avoidance and evasion, the abolition of tax havens and the protection of whistleblowers, urges the UN’s Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas.
The privilege of being privileged
Article / 18th October 2016The route to reducing inequality is not through generating more philanthropic endeavour, but rather through transformative solutions that rely on sacrifice and sharing—hence altering the production and distribution of wealth and power in fundamental ways, argues Michael Edwards in openDemocracy.
Human rights beyond borders: The Maastricht Principles turn five
Blog / 8th October 2016Five years ago, the Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States was adopted in the area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and these Principles are increasingly being used by civil society organisations to hold States accountable for their extraterritorial conduct. Human rights obligations are now well recognized to extend beyond borders, as explained in the following news update published by the ETO Consortium.
The struggle for a UN Treaty: Towards global regulation on human rights and business
Article / 8th October 2016A global alliance of civil society organizations are demanding a binding treaty to regulate the activities of transnational corporations with respect to human rights. The Treaty process presents a unique opportunity for governments to prove that it is in their hands to put human rights above the interests of big business. Because profits can be shared—human rights cannot, write Jens Martens and Karolin Seitz.
Seeds of corporate power vs farmers’ rights
Article / 6th October 2016The expansion of corporate control in agriculture is reflected in three international treaties that establish the global rights of various stakeholders to seeds, germplasm, and plant varieties. But the balance of power needs to tilt back the other way, with farmers’ rights taking precedence over agribusiness profits, whether in these treaties or in trade deals, explains Karen Hansen-Kuhn.
Monsanto Tribunal and People’s Assembly
Article / 6th October 2016Civil society groups have organised a people’s assembly to hold Monsanto accountable for their crimes against humanity and the environment, and to spell out an alternative vision for the future of food and farming based on reclaiming the commons, earth democracy and agroecology.
Want national security? Dismantle the war machine
Article / 4th October 2016We need a deep rethinking of how we prioritize and respond to security threats. If we want a healthy Earth, justice, peace, and democracy, we need a 21st-century security agenda that addresses the causes of contemporary conflicts, encourages cooperation and diplomacy, and supports every person in their quest for a healthy and dignified life, writes David Korten.
Tax havens are a global shame. Now is the time to put an end to them.
Article / 4th October 2016A rapidly growing global web of tax havens is one of the key drivers of global inequality, allowing some of the world’s super rich to pay no taxes or far less than they should. Now is the time for a historic ethical pact to finally deliver tax justice to the world, and to end the existence of tax havens altogether, writes Rafael Correa.
Latest posts from Share The World’s Resources
Article / 27th September 2016Read a selected archive of STWR editorials that highlight the growing debate on sharing, with a round-up of sharing-related news, articles, reports and other activities from our monthly newsletters over the years.
Standing in solidarity for a humanity without borders
Article / 27th September 2016Much has been made of the basic unfairness in how responsibility is shared between nations for ameliorating the refugee crisis. But the real question is the level of economic sharing that is needed to deal with its root causes, when the international response continues to be woefully inadequate.