PHA-Exchange> FW: [health-now] PAN AP Press Release - PAN Int. to Kofi Annan - Make Bayer Accountable for Deaths of Peruvian Children

Thu Jun 24 05:22:15 PDT 2004

  _____  

From: PAN Asia Pacific [mailto:panap at panap.net] 
Sent: jueves, 24 de junio de 2004 4:16
To: agri-trade at yahoogroups.com; IAAATNCs at yahoogroups.com;
PeoplesFoodSovereignty at yahoogroups.com; IPENpesticideWG at topica.com;
secretariat at aprnet.org; health-now at yahoogroups.com; PC_AG at yahoogroups.com;
lo at foodsovereignty.org; ipc_world at yahoogroups.com
Cc: wto-intl at listserver.citizen.org; asiapacificwomen-owner at yahoogroups.com;
pg-hr-link at yahoogroups.com; moreandbetter at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [health-now] PAN AP Press Release - PAN Int. to Kofi Annan - Make
Bayer Accountable for Deaths of Peruvian Children

Apologies for Cross Postings! 

Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and the Pacific 

Press Release 

PAN International to Kofi Annan: 

Make Bayer Accountable for Deaths of Peruvian Children

June 24/Penang—Pesticide Action Network Asian and the Pacific has called on
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, to demand that German agro-chemical
corporation, Bayer AG, assumes responsibility for the fatal poisonings of 24
children in Peru in 1999. The call comes on the occasion of the "Global
Compact Leaders Summit" at United Nations headquarters in New York today,
which will discuss better corporate practices in human rights, labour and
the environment 

Similar letters of concern were issued from PAN regional centers in the
U.S., UK, Germany, Chile and Senegal, as well as PAN partners globally. The
letters were in support of an appeal for justice from families of the
deceased children. 

"We are seriously concerned about the corporate links forged between the UN
agencies and multinational companies, especially companies like Bayer"
comments PAN AP executive director, Sarojeni V. Rengam. "It is also sadly
ironic that our calls for justice for the children and community of
Tauccamarca comes at the time when the United Nations Environment Programme
announced a €1 million (euro) yearly partnership with Bayer AG to support
the agency’s global strategy to involve young people in environmental
issues". Asserts Rengam, "to add insult to injury the partnership is set to
unfold over a six-year period, with activities and events that includes the
annual ‘Tunza’ international conferences for children and youth!" "Tunza" is
a Kiswahili word meaning to ‘treat with care or affection’, and the
initiative aims to engage young people in UNEP’s work, increasing their
participation in sustainable development issues. 

Small farmers from the community of Tauccamarca en Cuzco, Peru, lost 24 of
their sons and daughters (children of school age), when they were
accidentally poisoned by an organophosphate pesticide called "Folidol," that
is, ethyl or methyl parathion in October 22, 1999. Since 1999, the villagers
of Tauccamarca have sought justice in the courts of Cuzco and Lima,
demanding that the Peruvian government and the company Bayer, be held
accountable and responsible for the tragic deaths of the children. 

"We believe that not only the legal system of our country, but also
respected institutions like the United Nations that work hand in hand with
companies like Bayer to encourage them to improve their practices in
countries of the south like Peru, should demand that the company that is
legally responsible for the poison that killed our children assume its
responsibilities. The fact that we are poor people, living in a poor
country, should not allow these international companies to trample our
rights" states the recent letter from Victoriano Huarayo T., a
representative of the families of the poisoned children of Tauccamarca, to
the offices of UN Secretary General Annan.

A nine-month investigation by the Peruvian Congressional Subcommittee—formed
in response to an appeal made by the parents of the deceased children and of
eighteen other children who were also poisoned but survived—concluded that
there was significant evidence of criminal responsibility on the part of the
Bayer. The subcommittee also found administrative and criminal
responsibility on the part of the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture. The
report recommended that the government and Bayer indemnify the families of
the dead children. Initial medical analysis had indicated that several of
the surviving children will suffer significant long-term health and
developmental problems as a result of the poisoning.

The Tauccamarca families believe that Bayer should have taken steps to
prevent the foreseeable misuse of this extremely toxic product given the
well known socioeconomic conditions in the Peruvian countryside that make
so-called "safe use" virtually impossible. Because Bayer took no reasonable
steps to warn or protect users—for illiterate users the labeling and
packaging provide no indication of the danger of the product—it did not
exercise reasonable care to prevent the foreseeable misuse of this deadly
pesticide.

Headquartered in Germany, the agrochemical company Bayer has been the
registered owner of Folidol in Peru, and a principle Peruvian importer and
distributor of both methyl and ethyl parathion. Bayer is a founding member
of the United Nations Global Compact.

In fact, this tragedy was the subject of an earlier letter sent to the
office of the Secretary General Annan in August 2002, on the occasion of the
World Summit for Sustainable Development. At the time, the families had
appealed to Annan to exclude Bayer from the UN Global Compact, based on the
company’s actions and inactions with regard to the children's deaths and
poisonings. 

The Global Compact Leaders Summit on June 24 in New York has been advertised
as "a unique and historic opportunity to bring intensified international
focus and increased momentum to the Secretary-General's leadership challenge
for global society". 

As a member of the Global Compact, Bayer claims that it "has undertaken to
work to the best of its ability to ensure communication and observance of
the nine principles selected by the U.N. in the areas of human rights,
social standards and the environment." According to its own Principles of
Corporate Policy and those of the chemical industry's international
Responsible Care initiative, the company also claims to be, "committed to
conducting its operations not only in compliance with the law of each
country where it operates, but also according to globally accepted ethical
principles
Our work is to benefit mankind; our innovations contribute to the
welfare of many people in many countries".

The letters from PAN International expressed support for the villagers of
Tauccamarca, and questioned the relevancy of the Global Compact, and the
role of the United Nations in fostering relations with companies like Bayer
who have clearly violated the basic human rights of the people of Peru, and
specifically the families of Tauccamarca.

"We call on the UN to demand that Bayer, which is legally responsible for
the poison that killed their children, to assume its responsibilities",
state the letters from PAN. 

PAN centers have also asserted that, "Unless the UN Global Compact proves
its relevancy by taking measures to ensure corporate accountability, it will
prove itself redundant. As a voluntary agreement, it only serves as a mere
public relations exercise of member companies rather than actually
contributing to ethical business and adherence of its principles".

For further information contact:

Sarojeni V. Rengam, Executive Director, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia
and the Pacific, Penang, Malaysia. Tel: +604 657 0271/ +604 656 0381 Email:
panap at panap.net, saroj at pc.jaring.my
Jennifer Mourin, Media and Campaign Coordinator, Pesticide Action Network
(PAN) Asia and the Pacific, Penang, Malaysia. Tel: +604 657 0271/ +604 656
0381 Email: panap at panap.net 
Erika Rosenthal, Earth Justice, Legal Defense Fund, c/o PAN North America,
erosenthal at earthjustice.org, erosenthal at igc.org. 
Luis Gomerro, RAAA (PAN Peru), lgomero at raaa.org, raaaper at terra.com.pe 

Notes to Editors and Journalists: 

1) The Global Compact sets forth nine guiding principles that focus on human
rights, labour standards and concern for the environment. Companies
subscribing to the principles are encouraged to make clear statements of
support and to submit an annual report that includes concrete examples of
"good practices" for other firms to emulate. See:
http://www.unglobalcompact.org/ 

2) For recent letter from Mr. Victoriano Huarayo Torres (representing the
families of the twenty-four children to Kofi Annan), see PAN AP website:
http://www.panap.net 

3) Bayer widely promoted its methyl parathion formulation, know as
"Folidol", throughout Peru, targeting its marketing on use in Andean crops
cultivated primarily by small farmers, the great majority of whom speak
Quechua only and are illiterate. Bayer packaged Folidol, a white powder that
resembles powdered milk and has no strong chemical odor, in small plastic
bags, labeled in Spanish and displaying a picture of vegetables. The labels
provided no understandable safety Information, such as pictograms, for the
majority of users in these remote villages, and little indication of the
danger of the product. Source: The Tragedy of Tauccamarca: A Human Rights
Perspestive on Pesticide Poisoining Deaths of 24 Children in the Peruvian
Andes, Erika Rosenthal, JD, MSL. Int. Journal of Environmental Health 2003;
9:53-58.

4) "UN environment agency teams up with Bayer AG to help young people, News
Story from the UN News Centre.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=11101&Cr=environment&Cr1=
(Accessed on June 24, 2004).

PAN - Asia and the Pacific
P.O. Box 1170,10850 Penang, Malaysia    
Tel:604-6570271/6560381 Fax:604-6583960
Web: www.panap.net
--------------------------------------------------------------- 
For 30 days in September this year, the People's Caravan for Food
Sovereignty 
will hold simultaneous resistance and solidarity actions in 11 Asian
countries. 
Be part of the journey. Join and support the People's Caravan.
www.panap.net/caravan

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor	

ADVERTISEMENT

<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12cj065ua/M=295196.4901138.6071305.3001176/D=gr
phealth/S=1705062215:HM/EXP=1088158907/A=2128215/R=0/SIG=10se96mf6/*http://c
ompanion.yahoo.com> click here	

<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=295196.4901138.6071305.3001176/D=grphealth
/S=:HM/A=2128215/rand=990421384> 	

  _____  

Yahoo! Groups Links

*	To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/health-now/

*	To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
health-now-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com
<mailto:health-now-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> 

*	Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> . 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20040624/aca621de/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Global Compact Press Release June 24.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 34304 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20040624/aca621de/attachment-0007.doc>