Posco's Odisha Project: OECD National Contact Point Complaints and a Decade of Resistance
November 2016
This case study focuses on a protracted conflict between Korean steel giant POSCO, and communities affected by a proposed steel plant in the eastern Indian state of Odisha…[T]he project has faced strong opposition from the communities affected by the proposed steel plant…The conflict and specific complaints addressed in this report pertain to failures to respect rights to free, prior and informed consent over land acquisition, inadequate consultation with affected communities…displacement, and multiple incidents of violence and intimidation by police and other actors…This report focuses on a complaint made to…National Contact Points (NCP) in South Korea, the Netherlands and Norway…The Dutch process facilitated discussion between ABP/APG, the complainants’ representatives and, ultimately, POSCO, with the objective of launching a fact-finding mission, which could then form the basis of a dialogue. However, parties could not agree to the terms of the mission…The NCPs ultimately had no positive impact on human rights in this case…