UN expert asks TotalEnergies to act on human rights concerns
In a statement, opens new tab released late on Thursday, Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders Michel Forst said the company must take immediate action to protect activists linked to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and connected oilfields.
It followed news that German asset manager Union Investment had dropped the company's bonds and shares from its sustainable investment funds over the issue.
Union Investment said it made the decision after reviewing a fresh report from non-profit Just Finance International citing alleged abuses at the Kingfisher oil site in Uganda, part of the pipeline project.
Forst said TotalEnergies had "failed to take effective steps addressing these abuses," adding it was "deeply troubling" that "it has instead consistently rejected the allegations as mere 'misconceptions' of the projects' impact".
As a French company, it was bound by the international Aarhus Convention to ensure individuals were not penalised or harassed for their opposition to the projects, Forst added.
TotalEnergies said in a statement on Friday that it "does not tolerate any threats or violence against those who peacefully defend and promote human rights" and reminds those it works with of its position on the subject.
The company added that it worked with Ugandan authorities "to stress to the Police the need to ensure that due process is followed, the protesters are treated well, and their rights are respected while in detention".
The security team of its local unit also monitors the wellbeing of anyone arrested and ensures their representatives are able to visit them, it said.
Forst backed a call by Union Investment for an independent investigation into the alleged abuses. As well as making the results public and acting on any shortcomings, he also asked the Total to use its leverage to prevent any further attacks.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Inside the 'toxic' livestreaming platform where 'tortured' influencer died - and creators compete for clicks with unsavory acts
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Critics describe Kick as 'a playground for people to be degenerate,' with the site hosting streams of animals being tortured, people being shot with paintballs, and creators being beaten for entertainment. It has become, in the eyes of many, the internet's most depraved mainstream platform with its appeal seemingly rooted in chaos, shock, and the destruction of boundaries. Pormanove's death is tragically not the first controversy tied to the site. Homeless women have been cruelly pranked, chickens beheaded and tortured - all in pursuit of views, subscribers, and money. Yet the audience only grows. Kick draws around 817,000 users each month, a figure climbing rapidly. Launched in 2022, little is known about its investors beyond its two billionaire co-founders, Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven. The pair also co-founded Stake - the largest crypto-backed casino in the world. As on Amazon's Twitch, Kick viewers can pay a few pounds to subscribe to channels and unlock special perks including access to personalised digital stickers, unique badges that display next to their username, and access to exclusive content or chat features offered by the creator they subscribe to. Kick stands out from other streaming services mainly due to its highly attractive payment system for content creators. The platform keeps only five per cent of the money paid by users to subscribe to channels, compared to the 30 per cent to 50 per cent cut taken by Twitch. The platform is also notorious for its much more permissive moderation policy. Kick allows certain gambling activities that are banned on Twitch, as well as sexually suggestive scenes or content involving humiliation or violence – such as those involving Pormanove – to be broadcast without automatic sanctions. 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His tormentors, earning tens of thousands of euros per month, with 500,000 subscribers on the platform that made them stars of French-speaking Kick, regularly using them for their business promotions. It has been reported that a few days before his death, Pormanove sent a heartbreaking final message to his mother to say he felt as if he was 'being held hostage' and admitted he was 'fed up' with the controversial streams that had become his trademark. France's Minister for Digital Affairs and Artificial Intelligence, Clara Chappaz, condemned the ordeal as an 'absolute horror' and said platforms must do more to protect vulnerable creators. Sarah El Haïry, the High Commissioner for Children, described the tragedy as 'horrifying', warning parents to remain vigilant about the violent content children can access online. Kick, the streaming platform where Jeanpormanove built his following, said it was 'deeply saddened' by his death and promised to urgently review the circumstances. 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Reuters
5 hours ago
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New Zealand's Fonterra to sell consumer business to Lactalis for $2.2 billion
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