abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

24 Oct 2005

Author:
Aaron Bernstein, BusinessWeek

Freeport's Hard Look At Itself [West Papua]

Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc. has long been tagged as a human-rights pariah for its close relationship with the repressive Indonesian military... Freeport has always denied knowledge of abuses, but it has nonetheless engaged in a gutsy human rights review that could become a model for all Western multinationals. In 2003 the company quietly asked an outside nonprofit [International Center for Corporate Accountability Inc. (ICCA)] to conduct an independent audit of its vast Papuan mining complex... In a formal reply to the audit, Freeport acknowledged the problems and vowed to address them. "We haven't accepted all the recommendations because some aren't culturally the right way to go about it, but the findings are right," says Stan Batey, Freeport's senior adviser on community relations..."Having third-party accountability like Freeport's is critical to corporate credibility," says Arvind Ganesan, director for business and human rights at Human Rights Watch. His group, which wasn't involved in the audit, has criticized Freeport over the years. [also refers to Nike, Liz Claiborne, Toys 'R' Us]