newsitems CoE: +Big Business ask Clean Ethical Certificates/Labels versus Human Trafficking, on their Products
CoE: +Big Business ask Clean Ethical Certificates/Labels versus Human Trafficking, on their Products
*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- An UnExpected Mark of potential Efficiency for CoE's already 10 Years-long Fight against Human Trafficking and Forced Labor it often provokes, among others, was, during a 2 Days International Conference in Strasbourg, the Interest Expressed by several Big and Other Businesses to receive a kind of Ethical Certificate for their Products and/or Services, which would Attest that they are Free from any legitimate Suspicion of eventualy Exploiting Forced Labour resulting from Human Trafficking, as it was revealed in a Special Workshop dedicated to "Strategic Partnerships" prospects, with the Participation of Representatives not only from PanEuropean CoE's specialized Watchdog "GRETA", but also from the Euro-Atlantic OSCE, the OAS for American Countries, etc.
- That surprizing Spin off suddenly emerged at the Surface when a UK Representative, participant at that Workshop's Panel, (which was attended also by CoE's Director on Anti-Trafficking, Petya Nestorova (Comp. her earlier Statements to "Eurofora" at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coe10yearsagainsthumantrafficking.html), during those Debates, suggested to go Beyond "Name and Shame" Measures, and Start Cooperating also with Businesses which have Recently shown their Interest to make Sure and Known that their Supply Chains are Free from any Exploitation of Forced Labour due to Human Trafficking, etc, but Follow, on the Contrary, Basic Ethical Principles in this regard.
- Similar Appeals were also made by at least 3 Other National Representatives from various CoE and GRETA Member States, (including, f.ex. Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria, etc). To this was Added even the voice of certain NGOs (f.ex. from Switzerland, etc), who said that they had been recently "Approached" by certain Companies, Asking a kind of "Certification", mutatis-mutandis similar to that of "Fair Trade", etc.
- This included mainly "Big Companies", such as "IKEA" and others, (who were also Anxious that some unscrupulous SMEs might, eventually, Over-Exploit Human Trafficking in order to Blow Prices by Social Dumping and Snatch Procurements, etc), but it could also Benefit to several Small and Medium Businesses too, as some added.
- Big Businesses were particularly concerned and Relevant, since they are linked and exposed to World-wide Supply Chains, as well as many States' Procurements', policy, etc.
- Such Moves might, Potentially, offer also some New Opportunities for adequate "Public - Private Patrnerships" in the Fight against Trafficking of Human Beings and Forced Labour, those participants Highlighted. States are not against Profitable Businesses, on the Condition that they are also Compatible with basic Ethical Principles and Legal Obligations, they added.
- In this regard, some Proposed to eventually establish a certain kind of "Good Practices" List, relevant "Certificates" and/or "Labels", etc, while also the concrete Example of the ..."Ethical Chocolate" (a formula used elsewhere in the Past), was praised.
CoE has Already Published, as early as Since November 2016, a "Compendium of Good Practices" on Anti-Trafficking Measures, but this concerned mainly Decsions taken by Member States for the Implementation of the relevant PanEuropean Convention, as hey result from "National Evaluation Reports" by GRETA's Experts, while, here, it's also about Private Businesses too.
Obviously, a Good and Solid Monitoring, in such cases, would be Necessary, in order to Avoid any Risk of eventual Corruption and/or Conflict or Interest Attempts. But, the very Possibility of such Partnerships nowadays, naturally Reveals also a Growing Potential for CoE's Anti-Trafficking Fight in real practice, if it's Carefully and Well used.
Converging Facts, clearly Indicate that such Proposals might Probably be Discussed, and perhaps Endorsed, mutatis-mutandis, in one way or another, fully or partly, in the Wider Framework of an Exceptional Meeting, Tomorrow at the CoE in Strasbourg, of National Coordinators for CoE's Member States engaged in Anti-Trafficking efforts, (organized Together with OSCE's competent Representative : Comp. Statements made Earlier to "Eurofora" at http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coe10yearsagainsthumantrafficking.html) , in order to Design the Outlines of CoE's Activities in this field at the foeseeable Future.
- At any case, it's also a Fact that, in view of that forthcoming Meeting, Tomorrow All Day, CoE's Director on the Fight against Trafficking of Human Beings, Petya Nestorovan told "Eurofora", Later this Afternoon, that she was in a hurry to join a Team of her Collegues at CoE's adjacent "Agora" Building, where they were due to Work until Late this Evening, at the Eve of the above-mentioned Exceptional Meeting, in order to Better Prepare it on Time.
Meanwhile, this New point on Public-Private Partnerships against Human Trafficking was naturally mentioned, by that Panel's Rapporteur, Patricia Le Cocq from Belgium's Federal Migration Center, at the Concluding Session of the Plenary of CoE's International Conference on the 1Oth Anniversary since the PanEuropean Convention against Trafficking of Human Beings entered into force (2008-2018), later Today Afternoon.
I.e., just before the Participants were Invited at a Reception organized by the incoming Presidency of COE's Committee of Ministers by Croatia (May - November 2018), which had sponsored also that Conference, (opened earlier this Morning by the Croate Deputy Minister of Justice, Ivan Crncec), where a Music and Dance Group from the Caraibes performed artfully, and, (we were told), also ...Ethically.
(../..)
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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send, Earlier, to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap)
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Facing a 70% Abstention threat in 2009 Election, EU endorses EuroFora's idea for Citizens' debates on crucial EU decisions !
- Different views on "Europe's Future", should be debated among Citizens at June 2009 EU Elections, thanks to political Parties' "Manifestos", says EU Parliament's Report
A main idea, initiated and promoted by EuroFora's founders since 1997: the vital need to develop European Citizens' democratic right to actively participate in multilingual debates on EU decisions, is formally endorsed by the EU from 2009 !
The move is a key attempt to overcome "catastrophic" Polls which warn that only ...30% of Citizens are ready to vote in the forthcoming June 2009 EU Election ! This was revealed by EU Commission's vice-president, in charge of Communication policy, Margot Wallstrom, during a "hot" meeting of EU Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education, during the December 2008 Strasbourg session.
Wallstrom faced criticism, but also suggestions from various MEPs, naturally worried by Abstention threats which herself found even "worse" than in 1999 or 2004...
A Report on "Active Dialogue with Citizens",examined at the same time, presented some useful practical tips, on "facilitating Interviews"; etc., but also a potentialy important call to "incorporate the conclusions of ...debates...into (EU) policies, and take into consideration the expectations that Citizens have of the EU when deciding". An amendment even implies that Citizens' participation in debates on EU decisions is a democratic "Right".
More importantly, it finds that a Debate "on the Future of Europe", (as French President Nicolas Sarkozy has asked since 2007), would be a good idea " for the 2009 European parliamentary Elections", because "clarifying the political differences between the EU political parties would help citizens to identify themselves with, and choose between various concepts", for which "all parties (should) present their Manifesto".
A "Joint political declaration on Communicating Europe in Partnership", co-signed by "the European Parliament, Council and ... Commission", confirms that they "attach the utmost importance to improving communication on EU issues", by "enabling European citizens to exercise their right to participate in the democratic life of the Union, in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizens, observing the principles of pluralism, participation, openness and transparency".
This should "enable Citizens to exercise their right to express their views and to participate actively in the public Debate on European Union issues", while also "promoting the respect of multilingualism". In this regard, EU confirms its "wish to develop synergies with national, regional and local authorities as well as with representatives of Civil Society".
It's since 1997 that a group of EuroFora's founders have officially presented a pioneer Project (then called "EIW", for "Europe in the World"), which aimed to develop Strasbourg's "Polyphonic music", by providing "Interactive information", on "main issues ... during the Decision-making process of European Organizations which engage in Transparent and Public Democratic Debates"
This should be done, inter alia, by "exploring the potential of New Communication Tools (mainly Internet)", as well as classic-form debates, the 1997 EIW pioneer project's anounced in its "Synopsis". It was formally "accepted for evaluation" by EU Commission in Brussels in order to be examined for a grant in the framework of the "Research/Technology/Development (RTD) Programme in the field of Information Technologies", then called "ESPRIT", as a "Best Practice Pilot Project".
But the vital, urgent Political need for EU to search new, efficient ways to reach the People and interact with European Citizens, was really felt in Brussels and elsewhere only after the unprecedented in History 1999 and 2004 Majority Abstention in EU Elections, followed by 3 "NO" in Referenda in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, on 2005 and 2008...
In this New Political Landscape, we prepared a new, actualised and more developed version of our initial idea, in a simplified and more efficient form, thanks also to a large Experience accumulated during many years of EU/CoE/UNO Press work and Multi-lingual debates, with the New project "EuroFora" :
On 2006 we presented in Public its main lines during Questions/Replies that we raised at two Press Conferences by EU Commission President, Jose Baroso, and mainly EU Commission's vice-President, in charge of Communication policy, Margot Wallstrom, together with EU Parliament's vice-president, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, in Strasbourg, (Videos available), and we reminded it at various brief contacts with Commissioner Wallstrom in 2007 and 2008.
Meanwhile, a new Text was also presented for "EuroFora" Project mainly to certain Political and other personalities, at European, National or Regional/Local level, mainly in 2007, but also in 2008..
Now, after the unexpected 2008 Irish "NO", and before the 2009 EU Elections, which are due to be of exceptionally crucial importance for Europe's Future, the moment has obviously come to launch that project, progressively, but in real practice.
Whoever really cares for Europe and its Citizens is welcome to join, in one way or another. Only anti-European, anti-democratic, obscure or ignorant groups might oppose or attempt to "steal" and deviate the main idea.
But European Citizens, incited by enlightened political leaders, are those who will finally write the real History.