G8: A triumph for corporations
EVIAN (FRANCE) – 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 a new briefing on May 29, 2003, highlighting the gap between the rhetoric of ‘corporate social responsibility’ and the reality experienced by the victims of corporate bad practice.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT IN EVIAN:
Helene Ballande, Friends of Earth France + 33- 6- 77107125 (until June 3)
