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	Human Rights Violations spiraling out of control in DR Congo by Navanethem Pillay UN High Commissioner for Human Rights   27 November 2008   The top United Nations human rights official today urged the international community to take urgent action to stop the deteriorating cycle of sexual violence, bloodshed and destruction in the war-torn eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).   Since heavy fighting resumed in North Kivu in August, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has documented a steady worsening of the human rights situation with summary executions, kidnappings, rape and widespread looting committed on a daily basis by the armed groups operating in the region.   Speaking on the eve of special Human Rights Council session devoted to the situation in the DRC, Navi Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that failing to end the fighting in eastern DRC could lead to outbreaks of large-scale violence in the rest of the country, and possibly elsewhere in the Great Lakes region of Africa.   “Recent reports suggest an escalation of sexual violence in its most brutal forms, committed by all sides in the conflict, including soldiers belonging to the national army,” Ms. Pillay said in a press release issued today. “I was appalled to learn that last week a 13-year-old girl was raped so viciously in a camp for displaced people in Kibati, that she died as a result,” she added.   The High Commissioner stressed that “thousands upon thousands” of women have been raped over the past decade with impunity, and without justice, the crimes will simply continue.   She also noted that a lucrative trade in illegally mined minerals is fuelling the Congolese conflict and that proceeds from the illicit business are the main source of financial support for the warring factions in eastern DRC.   “The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are destitute, but the country"s mineral wealth is vast,” Ms. Pillay said.   “Only through a concerted effort, involving state and non-state actors and the international community, will it become possible to stop the fighting and re-deploy the country"s resources to generate the welfare, development and prosperity that the Congolese people are entitled to, and so desperately need after 12 years of extreme lawlessness and violence.”   * Below is a link to a recent Human Rights Watch report - Cries for Help From Congo’s War Victims. Visit the related web page
	European Coalition for Corporate Justice by European Civil Society Organisations   The European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) promotes corporate accountability (CA) by bringing together national platforms of civil society organizations (CSOs) including NGOs, trade unions, consumer advocacy groups and academic institutions from all over Europe. ECCJ represents over 250 CSOs present in 15 European countries such as FIDH and national chapters of Oxfam, Greenpeace, Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth.   ECCJ believes CA and also Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mechanisms should be based on international legal frameworks and principles, serving as the foundation for and of corporate justice.   Overall, ECCJ aims to increase European co-operation among NGOs working on CA. The coalition seeks to raise public awareness about the role of the European Union (EU) in regulating companies both in and outside the EU.   The coalition has three concrete objectives: To increase European co-operation among NGOs working on CA and to influence policies within the EU and its member states.   To raise public awareness about corporate justice and policies of the EU and to promote a consistent viewpoint from civil society.   To build capacity and knowledge among NGOs in Europe with regard to corporate justice and accountability policies.   Given the global reach of European companies, it is crucial to ensure that they are held legally accountable for the impacts their operations have on people and the environment. This can be achieved though not exclusively through the endorsement and implementation of European and international standards. Legal standards provide the potential to better ensure global social justice, poverty alleviation and environmental conservation.   ECCJ is convinced that turning the EU into a leading actor on CA would, in turn, greatly influence discussions on CA and CSR at the global level.   ECCJ is convinced that a regulatory approach towards CA is needed. The EU should establish legal measures to hold EU-based companies accountable for the costs and impacts their operations have on people’s human rights and the environment worldwide. Visit the related web page
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