Join us for a live streamed event on Tue Nov 28, 2023, at 11:45 AM CET we will discuss legal and ethical aspects of corporate restructuring and its impact on the right to remedy. Questions addressed include whether a business breaches its human rights responsibility when it causes or contributes to the denial of remedies by another actor, and if it contributes to the denial of remedies through the acquisition of another business.
Panelists:
- Anita Ramasastry, University of Washington, former chair of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
- Tara van Ho, University of Essex, business and human rights expert
- Olof Björnsson, Swedwatch, author of “Fuel for Conflict” about the role of institutional investors in the Lundin case
- Egbert Wesselink, PAX, lead author of the 2010 report “Unpaid Debt” that led to the judicial investigation
Moderator:
- Salil Tripathi, senior advisor at the Institute for Human Rights and Business
Discussions will build on the ongoing landmark Lundin war crimes trial, that began in September in Stockholm, where former Lundin Oil executives Ian Lundin and Alex Schneiter are accused of aiding and abetting war crimes during Sudan’s 1997-2003 oil war. Victims of these crimes have yet to receive any form of redress.
Following the indictment in November 2021, Lundin Energy sold 98% of its assets to Aker BP, a Norwegian oil company. This merger left Lundin Energy without the means to provide effective remedy for the victims. PAX, Swedwatch, and six other European and South Sudanese civil society organizations filed a complaint with the Norwegian National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines against Aker BP and Aker ASA for failing to conduct human rights due diligence and facilitating ongoing (unremediated) impact.
The event is organised by Swedwatch and PAX and is taking place during the 12th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva.
You can register for the livestream by clicking the button below.