One Justice Project

More about Economic, Social & Environmental Crimes

With the establishment of international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and a permanent International Criminal Court, international criminal justice has made significant strides in ending impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

But impunity remains for serious violations of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. These violations are just as morally reprehensible and should be recognised as crimes because of their severe and long-term consequences for human populations.

Developed on the basis of existing international law, economic, social, and environmental crimes (ESEC) would attach consequences to conduct already prohibited under international human rights law and international environmental law and end impunity for acts and conduct that have severe consequences for people and the planet. The creation of ESEC would ensure that the most serious violations of human rights are punished as crimes under international law. They are needed to protect all human rights for the benefit of all peoples.

(CC) Iain Farrell

Forced Labour

Forced labour

In Myanmar, the military junta has made widespread use of men, women and children as forced labour for portering, construction work, and farming.

Forced labour, enforced prostitution and human trafficking do not just destroy individual lives, they also devastate entire communities. This economic crime would punish individuals for serious violations of the right to work of one’s choosing and the right to work in safe and healthy conditions, which are guaranteed in articles 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Read a report from Amnesty International on the Myanmar government’s use of its people in forced labour.

Do More

Support these organisations in the fight against forced labour, sexual slavery, and human trafficking:

Free the Slaves
Free the Slaves liberates slaves around the world, helps them rebuild their lives and researches real world solutions to eradicate slavery forever.
http://www.freetheslaves.net/

The Project to End Human Trafficking
The Project to End Human Trafficking engages in anti-trafficking coalition building, educational outreach, direct service to victims, and collaboration with other national and international organizations in the global fight against human trafficking.
http://www.endhumantrafficking.org/

Corruption

Corruption

In Cambodia, the political elite has made huge profits from sand, oil, gas, and mining extraction activities which have had devastating social and economic consequences for the Cambodian people.

Corruption on a large scale is a form of economic pillage that deprives citizens of their right to benefit from economic development and good government. This economic crime would punish individuals for the most serious violations of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

Read a report from Global Witness on corruption in the extractive industries of Cambodia.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against corruption:

Transparency International
Transparency International brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world.
www.transparency.org

Global Witness
Global Witness investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource-related conflict and corruption.
www.globalwitness.org/

Food and Water Crimes

Discriminatory denials of access to food and water

Since the mid-1990s, hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have died from famine, as a result of the military dictatorship’s discriminatory distribution of food aid and restrictions on the freedom of movement.

Denying populations access to the necessities of life threatens their safety, health, and survival in very fundamental ways. This social crime would punish individuals for the most serious violations of the rights to life, food, and water, which are guaranteed in article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Read a report from Amnesty International on the North Korean government’s violations of its people’s right to food.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against serious violations of the rights to water and food:

Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity Campaign
The Demand Dignity Campaign seeks to end the injustice and exclusion that keeps people trapped in poverty and deprivation.
www.amnesty.org/en/demand-dignity

Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions is the leading international human rights organisation campaigning for the protection of housing rights, including the right to water.
www.cohre.org

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations helps developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all.
www.fao.org

(cc) Radio Nederland Wereldomroep

Forced Evictions

Forced evictions

In Angola, since the mid-2000s, thousands of families have been forcefully evicted from their homes, with their dwellings and possessions destroyed and their lives shattered.

When carried out on a mass scale, forced evictions deprive populations of adequate shelter, with devastating consequences in the long-term. This social crime would punish individuals for one of the most serious violations of the right to housing, which is guaranteed in article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Read a report from Amnesty International on evictions forced by the government of Angola on its people.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against forced evictions:

Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity Campaign
The Demand Dignity Campaign seeks to end the injustice and exclusion that keeps people trapped in poverty and deprivation.
//www.amnesty.org

Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions is the leading international human rights organisation campaigning for the protection of housing rights and the prevention of forced evictions.
www.cohre.org

(cc) Pedro Sousa

Health and Medical Crimes

Discriminatory denials of access to required medical care and treatment

In 2008, thousands of Zimbabweans died from a cholera epidemic, which was exacerbated by the Mugabe regime’s suppression of critical public health information.

Disease is not always the only threat to human health. Sadly, the health of many populations is adversely affected by harmful decisions taken by governments and corporations. This social crimes would punish individuals for some of the most serious violations of the right to health, which is guaranteed in article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Read a report from Physicians for Human Rights on the serious violations of the right to health by the Mugabe regime against the people of Zimbabwe.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against serious violations of the right to health:

Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity Campaign
The Demand Dignity Campaign seeks to end the injustice and exclusion that keeps people trapped in poverty and deprivation.
www.amnesty.org

Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights brings together health professionals to investigate the health consequences of human rights violations and work to stop them.
physiciansforhumanrights.org

(cc) (H) foto-gràfic

Cultural Genocide

Cultural Genocide

Since the Iranian Revolution, the Iranian government and clergy have sought to prevent members of the Baha’i faith from practising their religion though arrests, beatings and various forms of discrimination and harassment.

Cultural or religious beliefs or practices are integral to the well-being of a community. When they are attacked as a threat to the status quo, the results can be devastating. This social crime would punish individuals for some of the most serious violations of the right to culture, which is guaranteed in article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Read a report from Human Rights Watch on the persecution of the Baha’i by the government of Iran.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against serious violations of the right to culture:

Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a global movement of 2.8 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights.
www.amnesty.org

Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights.
www.hrw.org

From Wikipedia

Education Crimes

Discriminatory denials of access to education

From 1996 to 2001, under Taliban rule, many of Afghanistan’s schools were destroyed and education for women was forbidden.

Denying individuals access to an education disempowers them and condemns them to a future of depredation and lost opportunities. This social crime would punish individuals for one of the most serious violations of the right to education, which is guaranteed in article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Read a report from the US State Department on the Taliban’s denial of education for the women of Afghanistan.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against serious violations of the right to education:

Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity Campaign
The Demand Dignity Campaign seeks to end the injustice and exclusion that keeps people trapped in poverty and deprivation.
www.amnesty.org

The Global Campaign for Education
The Global Campaign for Education is a civil society movement that aims to end the global education crisis.
www.campaignforeducation.org

Right to Education Project
The Right to Education Project aims to promote social mobilisation and legal accountability, looking to focus on the legal challenges to the right to education.
www.right-to-education.org

(CC) isafmedia

Environmental Crimes

Widespread, Long-Term and Severe Environmental Damage

For over 25 years, Texaco’s oil extraction operations had devastating consequences for 1,700 square miles of Ecuador’s rainforest, including spills of more than 17 million gallons of crude oil, the dumping of over 18.5 billion gallons of toxic chemicals into streams and soil, and 900 unlined toxic waste pits.

This environmental crime s is based on the war crime of causing widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment, included in Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. However, the application of this war crime is limited to situations involving armed conflict. The equivalent environmental crime would punish individuals for similar conduct taking place in times of peace.

Visit this website run by Amazon Watch on the serious ecological and human impacts of Texaco’s (now Chevron) operations in the Ecuadorian rainforest.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against serious environmental damage:

David Suzuki Foundation
The David Suzuki Foundation works with government, business and individuals to conserve our environment by providing science-based education, advocacy and policy work, and acting as a catalyst for the social change that today’s situation demands.
www.davidsuzuki.org

Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth is a federation of national environmental organizations dedicated to preserving the health and diversity of the planet for future generations.
www.foe.org

Greenpeace
Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
www.greenpeace.org

(cc) Rainforest Action Network

Pollution Crimes

Pollution Harmful to Human Health

In August 2006, the Probo Koala disposed of more than 500 tonnes of toxic waste in the Ivorian port of Abidjan. This toxic waste was found by an inquiry to have resulted in the deaths of 17 Ivorians and injuries to over 30,000 Ivorians.

Pollution harms the environment on which healthy lives depend. This environmental crime would punish individuals for some of the most serious violations of the rights health, food, and water, which are guaranteed in articles 11 and 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Do more

Support these organisations in the fight against dangerous and harmful pollution:

(cc) Blazius

The One Justice Project

The One Justice Project (1JP) is committed to a vision of a world where one justice exists for all human rights and for all peoples. In particular, 1JP seeks to have serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights recognised as crimes in global public opinion, international law, and domestic legal systems worldwide. 1JP is currently working with legal experts to develop a consensus declaration on economic, social, and environmental crimes.

1JP raises awareness of the severe consequences of serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights for human populations and builds support world-wide for their criminalisation in international law.

1JP also advocates for changes in international law and domestic legal systems to provide individual criminal accountability for conduct amounting to serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights.

1JP is committed to working collaboratively with a broad range of partners that seek to end serious violations of international economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. 1JP aims to deploy its resources to enhance the capabilities and strengthen the advocacy of NGOs and local communities interested in using the language of individual criminal liability to campaign on serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. 1JP also aims to serve as a hub and focal point for research, advocacy, and campaigning on the need for individual criminal liability for serious violations of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights.

Read about the people behind the One Justice Project.

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If you are interested in working or assisting with the One Justice Project, please e-mail sebastien.jodoin[a]onejusticeproject.org.

(CC) Iain Farrell

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One Justice Project presented at law schools in the United States and Canada