Briefs

Human Rights Due Diligence: An overview

In 2011, the international community unanimously endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which clarify what is expected from companies and governments when it comes to human rights. But how best to proceed?

Where Hard Work Doesn’t Pay Off: Policy Recommendations

In June, Oxfam published research that features a robust new index comparing US labor laws to those of economic peer nations. “Where Hard Work Doesn’t Pay Off” tracks 56 policies across 38 nations in three key dimensions: wages, worker protections, and rights to organize.

Unfinished Business: Contract Transparency In The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

The urgency of climate action and the complexity of the energy transition mean it has never been more important to be able to understand the deals made between companies and governments for oil, gas and minerals. Thankfully, since 2021, implementing countries of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) have been required to disclose the contracts between governments and extractive companies.

This briefing surveys the contract disclosure practice of the 57 EITI-implementing countries to understand the extent of their contract disclosure practice. The briefing highlights trends, areas of insufficient disclosure and best practices.

Climate Finance Shadow Report 2023

In 2009, high-income countries committed in the Copenhagen Accords to mobilize US$100 billion a year by 2020 in climate finance for low- and middle-income countries. Oxfam reported on the progress of this commitment in 2016, 2018 and 2020. This year’s report finds that high-income countries have not only failed to deliver on their commitment, but also – as in previous years – generous accounting practices have allowed them to overstate the level of support they have actually provided. Moreover, much of the finance has been provided as loans, which means that it risks increasing the debt burden of the countries it is supposed to help.

This paper calls on high-income countries to accelerate the mobilization and provision of climate finance, and to make up the shortfall from previous years, in a way that is equitable and just. High-income countries must provide finance that is transparent, with genuine accountability mechanisms, and that allows for far more local ownership and responsiveness to the needs of communities it is intended to reach. People on the frontlines of the climate crisis must have the funding they were promised for adaptation and mitigation, and to address the loss and damage they are already experiencing as a result of climate impacts.

Priorities for the Securities and Exchange Commission

The current SEC has signaled an ambitious agenda to fulfill its mission to protect corporate investors and ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the capital markets.

Why a wealth tax makes sense to tackle inequality

Given that wealth inequality in the US is more extreme and dangerous than income inequality, it is past time for a federal wealth tax.