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Mighty Earth demands that the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) suspend Korindo and reopen investigations into deliberate land-clearing fires in Papua, Indonesia, citing a BBC investigation and evidence from Forensic Architecture and Greenpeace International.

Friends of the Earth International denounces the October 22, 2020, killing of Mama Fikile Ntshangase, a member of the Somkhele community and the Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation (MCEJO). Ntshangase opposed the expansion of the Tendele coal mine, owned by Tendele Coal Mining (Pty) Ltd, which threatened to displace 21 families. The document argues that environmental defenders across Africa face increasing violence and intimidation as transnational corporations expand extractive activities, often with the complicity of captured states. The organization demands a binding instrument to regulate corporations and calls on South African authorities, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, to ensure an impartial and thorough investigation into the murder.

The document examines the intersection of climate change and human rights, detailing how environmental degradation threatens rights to life, food, health, water, and housing. It outlines the obligations of states to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights, and the responsibilities of businesses to reduce emissions and provide remedies. The handbook specifically focuses on the role of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), presenting case studies of their work in monitoring impacts, handling complaints, providing policy advice, and engaging in international mechanisms like the UNFCCC and the Universal Periodic Review. It highlights that nearly half of Paris Principles-compliant NHRIs have engaged in climate change work, using tools ranging from digital mapping to formal inquiries into 'carbon majors'.

The report details five case studies on environmental litigation in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Ireland. It examines the role of the Aarhus Convention and human rights in granting standing to NGOs and individuals, the impact of EU law on national forestry and air quality policies, and the obstacles facing environmental associations in accessing justice.

The report evaluates how 27 UK seafood retailers, suppliers, and producers adhere to the SSC's voluntary codes for responsible sourcing and environmental claims. It finds high overall alignment, with 96% of members having sourcing policies in line with the codes and 88% meeting risk assessment requirements. However, it identifies inconsistencies in public transparency, the application of 'sustainably sourced' claims, and the assessment of marine ingredients in aquaculture feed. The report recommends updating the SSC website, expanding the scope of the codes to include pet food and flavourings, and incorporating human rights and IUU fishing into risk assessments.

The report by Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) examines how Transnational Corporations (TNCs) drive a capitalist system of accumulation through extractivism and the commercialization of services. It highlights the 'architecture of impunity'—including Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms—that allows TNCs to avoid accountability for environmental destruction and human rights abuses. The document details the impacts of agribusiness, forestry, mining, and energy sectors, noting that more than two-thirds of global territory defenders killed in 2019 were in Latin America. It advocates for a UN Binding Treaty to regulate TNCs and a transition toward an economy based on the sustainability of life and peoples' sovereignty.

The report examines community resilience and dialogue as tools to prevent violent extremism in three Kenyan counties. It identifies key risk factors, such as police brutality and socio-economic marginalisation, while highlighting existing strengths like inter-group collaboration. The authors argue for a shift from specific P/CVE interventions to broader, P/CVE-relevant development goals to reduce vulnerability.

An analysis of 442 savings funds marketed in France reveals that 86.2% are exposed to companies with critical environmental or social risks, including major greenhouse gas emitters, arms manufacturers, and coal companies. The report highlights a significant gap between French citizens' desire for sustainable investments and the reality of current financial products, noting that 94% of studied ISR-labeled funds still finance these problematic companies. Reclaim Finance calls for mandatory climate requirements for all financial products in France, stricter standards for 'green' or 'sustainable' labels, and the implementation of a 'nutri-score' for financial products to increase transparency.

The document examines the coordinated response of African regional bodies and the specific national strategies of South Africa and Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the role of the Africa CDC and AU in fostering continental cooperation, while contrasting the high-testing, strict-lockdown approach of South Africa with Nigeria's reliance on existing polio and Ebola infrastructure. The paper argues that while health measures were often proactive, the socio-economic fallout—including job losses, increased poverty, and human rights violations by security forces—will have a more lasting impact than the virus itself.

The GCF's interim ESS and ESMS are deemed 'not fit for purpose' as they rely on IFC standards that focus on risk mitigation ('do no harm') rather than the GCF's mandate to generate positive climate and social value ('do good'). The evaluation identifies critical gaps in human rights, gender equity, and stakeholder engagement. Operationally, the accreditation process is criticized as a 'desk review exercise' that fails to verify actual implementation capacity, particularly for direct access entities (DAEs). Monitoring is severely limited, relying on AE self-reporting via annual performance reports (APRs) without an operationalized monitoring and accountability framework (MAF). Additionally, the REDD+ pilot programme is found to be inconsistent with the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ due to additional safeguard requirements and a binary 'pass/fail' assessment approach.

The update reports that Halcyon Agri has ceased deforestation in Cameroon and implemented a global No Deforestation policy. Key progress includes the establishment of the Cameroon Sustainability Council, the creation of grievance mechanisms for legacy and new issues, and the development of water treatment systems targeting zero effluent at the Sudcam factory. However, a July 2020 latex spill near Kribi highlighted remaining gaps in company responsiveness and transparency. Halcyon has also improved its global ESG transparency, ranking second in the ZSL SPOTT rubber commodity ranking with a score of 69.6%.

The document reports that Halcyon Agri has ceased deforestation in Cameroon and implemented a global zero-deforestation policy. Key progress includes the establishment of a multi-level Cameroonian Council for Sustainable Development and the creation of a grievance mechanism to address community land claims. However, challenges remain, such as a recent latex spill near Kribi and the need for further progress on indigenous rights and employment equity. The company is also transitioning to closed-circuit water treatment systems and improving supply chain transparency through the ZSL SPOTT tool.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) convened a youth working meeting on 8 October 2020 to determine the priorities for a civil society submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Participants defined a 'picture of success' for South Africa, emphasizing the need for committed leadership, youth representation in decision-making, and the eradication of gender-based violence and corruption. The meeting identified a broad range of governance concerns, including unemployment, climate change, and the digital divide, which will be organized into 12 working groups to develop evidence-based recommendations by January 2021.

South Africa demonstrated strong leadership as AU chair by coordinating a continental response to COVID-19, including the establishment of regional task forces and a medical supplies platform. However, this soft power is undermined by persistent institutionalised xenophobia and a 'South Africans first' political discourse that marginalises African migrants. The author argues that domestic treatment of African nationals is a critical indicator of South Africa's leadership potential and warns that economic instability and corruption further exacerbate these internal cleavages.

The report argues that the GCF's current SEAH policy is too broad in scope, creating impractical obligations for counterparties and exposing the Fund to undue legal and reputational risks. It recommends splitting the framework: maintaining a standalone internal policy for 'covered individuals' while integrating the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) into the existing Environmental and Social (ES) safeguarding framework for project-level activities. The assessment emphasizes the need for in-house subject-matter expertise, a survivor-centered approach, and the adoption of an intersectional lens and the 'ecological model' to better understand and mitigate risks to vulnerable groups.

A coalition of international church-based organisations urges the European Commission to reform its migration and asylum policies, arguing that the current system is 'fundamentally broken'. The statement highlights the failure of the 'hotspot' approach and the 2016 EU-Turkey deal, calling for a shift from 'crisis mode' to a system based on solidarity, human dignity, and the equitable sharing of responsibility among all EU member states. It specifically advocates for safe passage channels and the rejection of policies that externalise border controls.

The Global Campaign argues that the second revised draft of the UN binding treaty on transnational corporations (TNCs) is insufficient and has "lost its soul" by failing to address the accountability gap and corporate capture. The statement highlights critical omissions, including the lack of recognition of TNC obligations to respect human rights, the absence of global value chain references, and the failure to establish effective international legal mechanisms or an international court. It further warns that the draft weakens the liability of parent companies and extends the scope to all enterprises regardless of transnational activity, contrary to Resolution 26/9. Finally, the campaign urges the postponement of the sixth session of the Working Group as a negotiating session, citing the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on the ability of civil society and affected communities, particularly in the Global South, to participate meaningfully.

The Global Campaign criticizes the August 2020 draft of the UN legally binding instrument on transnational corporations, arguing it has 'lost its soul' by diluting its scope and failing to include critical protections for human rights and accountability for global value chains.

The Global Campaign for Peoples' Sovereignty criticizes the second revised draft of the UN binding treaty on transnational corporations (TNCs), arguing it is too weak to achieve the goals of Resolution 26/9. The campaign highlights the failure to include obligations for TNCs to respect human rights, the omission of global production chains, and the lack of an international court for sanctions. It also warns that the COVID-19 pandemic hinders civil society participation, calling for alternative consultation methods before the sixth session of the Intergovernmental Working Group.

A coalition of international and national organizations, led by Friends of the Earth International, denounces the kidnapping of four members of the Triunfo de la Cruz community and the Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (OFRANEH) by armed men in police uniforms. The letter links these attacks to a broader pattern of systematic aggression against the Garífuna people by agribusiness, tourism, and real estate companies, specifically naming INDURA, MACERICA, and IDETRISA. It highlights the Honduran government's failure to comply with a 2015 Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruling regarding land restitution for the Triunfo de la Cruz community.