Excerpt: "The International Criminal Court announced Thursday it will now
hold corporate executives and governments legally responsible for
environmental crimes."
CEOs Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase and
Brian Moynihan of Bank of America. (photo: Getty)
CEOs Can Now Be Prosecuted Like War Criminals at the Hague
By teleSUR
16 September 16
The court's new focus on land grabbing and environmental destruction could
help put a dent in corporate impunity.
The International Criminal Court announced Thursday it will now hold
corporate executives and governments legally responsible for environmental
crimes.
The Hague court made explicit references to widening its approach to include
land grabbing, which has allowed private corporations, with the help of
governments, to take over large of areas of foreign land to exploit natural
resources. It will also prosecute for environmental destruction.
“Chasing communities off their land and trashing the environment has become
an accepted way of doing business in many resource-rich yet cash-poor
countries,” said Gillian Caldwell, Executive Director at Global Witness.
"Company bosses and politicians complicit in violently seizing land, razing
tropical forests or poisoning water sources could soon find themselves
standing trial in the Hague alongside war criminals and dictators. The ICC’
s interest could help improve the lives of millions of people and protect
critical ecosystems.”
The violence surrounding environmental conflicts also often leaves corpses
in its wake. In 2015, more than three people were murdered each week
attempting to defend their lands from land grabbing, according to Global
Witness. The group estimated that an area the size of germany has been
leased to international investors in developing countries since 2000.
The court's decision was sparked by a case filed by a group of Cambodians
that alleged that authorities, including the government, military, police
and the courts, have been complicit in land grabbing since 2002, which has
led to the forced eviction of more than 300,000 people. International legal
experts say the court’s widened focus could potentially open up criminal
prosecutions for climate change.
The ICC, set up in 2002 by governments with the intention of prosecuting
individuals for serious crimes where many developing and unstable countries
lack the mechanisms to carry out their own trials. Critics however have said
that the ICC lacks teeth because it is pinned on the cooperation of states
to bring suspects to trial.
Importantly, a number of powerful states 一many the home of power
internaitonal corporations 一 are not under the jurisdiction of the ICC.
China, India, Russia, Cuba and Indonesia, have not signed or ratified the
Rome Statue which established the ICC. The U.S., Israel and Sudan stated
that do not intend to become of the court in the future.
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CEOs Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase and
Brian Moynihan of Bank of America. (photo: Getty)
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/CEOs-Can-Now-Be-Prosecuted-Like-War-Cr
iminals-at-the-Hague-20160916-0013.htmlhttp://www.telesurtv.net/english/news
/CEOs-Can-Now-Be-Prosecuted-Like-War-Criminals-at-the-Hague-20160916-0013.ht
ml
CEOs Can Now Be Prosecuted Like War Criminals at the Hague
By teleSUR
16 September 16
The court's new focus on land grabbing and environmental destruction could
help put a dent in corporate impunity.
he International Criminal Court announced Thursday it will now hold
corporate executives and governments legally responsible for environmental
crimes.
The Hague court made explicit references to widening its approach to include
land grabbing, which has allowed private corporations, with the help of
governments, to take over large of areas of foreign land to exploit natural
resources. It will also prosecute for environmental destruction.
“Chasing communities off their land and trashing the environment has become
an accepted way of doing business in many resource-rich yet cash-poor
countries,” said Gillian Caldwell, Executive Director at Global Witness.
"Company bosses and politicians complicit in violently seizing land, razing
tropical forests or poisoning water sources could soon find themselves
standing trial in the Hague alongside war criminals and dictators. The ICC’
s interest could help improve the lives of millions of people and protect
critical ecosystems.”
The violence surrounding environmental conflicts also often leaves corpses
in its wake. In 2015, more than three people were murdered each week
attempting to defend their lands from land grabbing, according to Global
Witness. The group estimated that an area the size of germany has been
leased to international investors in developing countries since 2000.
The court's decision was sparked by a case filed by a group of Cambodians
that alleged that authorities, including the government, military, police
and the courts, have been complicit in land grabbing since 2002, which has
led to the forced eviction of more than 300,000 people. International legal
experts say the court’s widened focus could potentially open up criminal
prosecutions for climate change.
The ICC, set up in 2002 by governments with the intention of prosecuting
individuals for serious crimes where many developing and unstable countries
lack the mechanisms to carry out their own trials. Critics however have said
that the ICC lacks teeth because it is pinned on the cooperation of states
to bring suspects to trial.
Importantly, a number of powerful states 一many the home of power
internaitonal corporations 一 are not under the jurisdiction of the ICC.
China, India, Russia, Cuba and Indonesia, have not signed or ratified the
Rome Statue which established the ICC. The U.S., Israel and Sudan stated
that do not intend to become of the court in the future.
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