Complaint
to Global
Compact of
Siemens' W.
Sahara Wind
Farm,
Orr's
Ambitions?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June 4 -- The
UN Global
Compact
received a
complaint
earlier
this year that
German
conglomerate
Siemens' plans
to construct
and
maintain a
wind mill farm
in occupied
Western
Sahara, with
NAREVA
Holding, a
Moroccan
industrial and
financial
group.
The
complaint
argues that
"building
infrastructure
in occupied
territory by
Morocco
strengthens
Moroccan
occupation and
gives the
appearance of
legitimizing
the illegal
occupation."
Inner
City Press
on June 4
asked Global
Compact chief
Georg Kell
about the
status of
the complaint,
and how it is
being
processed and
considered. He
said
he will check
with his legal
department.
At
issue is
whether,
beyond being a
learning
platform, the
Global Compact
should
require at
least minimal
compliance
with
international
law as a
condition of
receiving the
"bluewashing"
the Global
Compact
seal may
represent.
In
the case of
such
exploitation,
it has been
found by the
UN, the parent
of the Global
Compact, that
natural
resource
activity in
Western Sahara
is in
violation of
international
law if the
people of the
territory are
not, as they
were not here,
consulted. http://www.arso.org/Olaeng.pdf
So
beyond any
disputes
about, for
example, the
private equity
industry
(about which
Inner City
Press also
asked Kell) or
tobacco or
even the arms
trade
are acceptable
to the Global
Compact,
shouldn't not
violating
international
law be a
threshold
question for
joining or
staying in
the Compact.
We'll see.
Inner
City Press
asked directly
if the Global
Compact is or
will be under
the Public -
Private
Partnership
office being
set up by (or
for) UN
official
Robert Orr.
Kell declined
to answer this
question about
his unit,
saying it is
not the focus
on the press
conference.
Sources tell
Inner City
Press Orr
wants to bump
up to the
Under
Secretary
General
level this
position,
which was D2
under Amir
Dossal. And so
it goes
at the UN.
Footnote:
Some say Kell
is becoming
stronger on
the Global
Compact having
standards - we
are open to
and will be
looking for
that.
, 
