On the occasion of the meeting of the Steering Committee on Friday 28 June and Saturday 29 June 2019, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty has invited the Director of Responsible Business Initiative Against the Death Penalty, Ms. Celia Ouellette, to present how companies involved against capital punishment alongside traditional activists.
Whether it be through Chambers of commerce or trade relations abroad, private and public companies constitute a foremost network of local and international actors that may have something to say on the promotion of human rights.
Some have long involved in the human rights area, such as Lush Cosmetics and Virgin, whose representatives were invited to the 7th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in February 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. By voicing their hope for criminal systems worldwide to better respect the right to life, they gave the abolitionist plateform a high-visibility position.
After Celia Ouellette's presentation to the World Coalition's Steering Committee, members involved into a brainstorming session during which they collectively thought about new strategies to be adopted, and new actors to be reached out. Their suggestions included syndicates for employees or employers, specialized media, foundations, entrepreneurs and/or philanthropy networks, consumers’ associations, companies working in the tourism sector (in line with the campaign led in Brunei to oppose Sultan’s decision to carry out executions for same-sex intercourses), or even in trade schools (where students are entrepreneurs of tomorrow).
Such a dialogue, Celia Ouellette further explained, must involve three parties: activists, CSR-labelled companies, and States. It is nothing but part of a broad movement for a fairer global society, in compliance with Sustainable Development Goal No. 16 on the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies and access to justice for all.