media advisory
Evian, France, June 3, 2003
G-8: A Triumph For Corporations
Commenting on the outcomes of the G8
Summit in Evian, Helene Ballande from Friends
of the Earth – Amis de la Terre said:
“This year G8 governments produced another
list of business-friendly initiatives aimed
at restoring confidence in financial markets.
But they again fail people and the
environment.”
“On water the G8 action plan promises to
benefit G8-based water corporations mainly
through foreign exchange risk coverage -
before the people that need access to safe
and clean water;”
“On corporate social responsibility G8
governments only praised corporate
voluntarism of the kind that is failing to
halt the bad practices of multinationals –
instead of binding rules and legal rights for
people to hold them accountable.” (1)
“On trade G8 governments announced they
want to give even more rights to
multinational corporations to sue poor
countries through an investment agreement;”
Ballande added.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
(1) : Friends of the Earth International
published on May 29 a new briefing
highlighting the gap between the rhetoric of
‘corporate social responsibility’ and the
reality experienced by the victims of
corporate bad practice. The briefing is
available at this webpage:
www.foei.org/media/2003/0528g8.html
For more information please contact in
Evian until June 3:
Helene Ballande, Friends of Earth France +
33- 6- 77107125
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