Our weekly round-up of must-read stories you might have missed: Illegal logging ‘ravaging DR Congo forests’, CPJ rejects Egyptian ruling against civil society, Kimberley Process Loophole Raises Concern, IMF admits: we failed to realise the damage austerity would do to Greece, Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan, France looks at America, says non to fracking.
Illegal logging ‘ravaging DR Congo forests’ – June 3, 2013
Multinational companies are profiting hand over fist from abusive forestry practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where illegal logging, mislabelled timber and false permits are widespread, according to several non-governmental organisations. The forests of the Congo basin in central Africa cover about 100 million hectares (almost 250 million acres) and are regarded as the second-largest green lung on the planet after the Amazon rainforest, but in DR Congo trees are being cut down with little regard for the law. Local and international NGOs charge that Congolese authorities are working with logging companies…
CPJ rejects Egyptian ruling against civil society – June 4, 2013
The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed by today’s conviction of 43 individuals affiliated with international nonprofit organizations on charges of working illegally in Egypt. CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour was sentenced to two years in prison based on the work he did with Freedom House, prior to joining CPJ. “We stand fully with Sherif Mansour and will support him in his efforts to secure justice for himself and the other defendants,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “We trust that this unjust verdict will be reversed on appeal.”…
Kimberley Process Loophole Raises Concern – June 5, 2013
The Guardian reported that under the Kimberley Process, conflict diamonds are defined as diamonds “sold by a rebel group to wage war against a government.” However, Human Rights Watch believes there is a “major loophole” in that description as it means that governments are not stopped from “committing abuses” when mining and selling diamonds. The publication fears that this week’s Kimberley Process meeting will fail to account for that fact. As quoted in the market news: The World Diamond Council has announced corporate members will help boost the process’s administrative capabilities while…
IMF admits: we failed to realise the damage austerity would do to Greece – June 5, 2013
The International Monetary Fund admitted it had failed to realise the damage austerity would do to Greece as the Washington-based organisation catalogued mistakes made during the bailout of the stricken eurozone country. In an assessment of the rescue conducted jointly with the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European commission, the IMF said it had been forced to override its normal rules for providing financial assistance in order to put money into Greece. Fund officials had severe doubts about whether Greece’s debt would be sustainable even after the first bailout was provided in May 2010 and only agreed to the plan because of fears of contagion…
Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan – June 6, 2013
Human Rights Watch will present a photography exhibition, “Dowry – Child and Forced Marriage in South Sudan,” from June 13 to 26, 2013. The exhibit, by the award-winning photographer Brent Stirton, will be at Lincoln Center during the annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Stirton, of Reportage by Getty Images, joined a Human Rights Watch investigation in South Sudan. Child marriage there is common, where some girls are married as young as 12. Nearly half of all the girls in South Sudan between the ages of 15 and 19 are married. The tradition of paying a dowry is a key driver of early marriage, with families marrying off girls to the highest bidder…
France looks at America, says non to fracking – June 7, 2013
France’s energy minister looked at the destruction being wrought on America’s environment by hydraulic fracturing and said “non, merci” to the latest push by her country’s business lobby to make fracking legal. Fracking was banned in France in 2011, and it looks like it’s going to stay banned. From Bloomberg: France’s ban on hydraulic fracturing should not be eased because the oil and gas drilling technique is causing “considerable” environmental damage in the U.S., according to a government minister. “We have to have our eyes wide open about what is going on in the U.S.,” Environmental and Energy Minister Delphine Batho said during a radio debate…
