It’s Saturday morning here in the U.S. Ordinarily a slow news day, CNN has the thrill of two hot news topics, which it can wear out for days and days: Hurricane Gustav’s arrival in New Orleans and the Republican National Convention.

Whether one believes in a higher power in some incarnation or is of the view that “sh_t happens,” it cannot be denied that the likelihood that something fateful is about to befall the Republicans this week. When Hurricane Gustav arrives on the U.S. Gulf Coast sometime Tuesday, responders will have learned from their mistakes stemming from the Katrina disaster. However, the “human rights negligence” that has been committed by the Bush Administration since that catastrophe will rear its ugly head again. As CNN has reported, emblematic of the Bush Administrations ongoing failure to respond to this human rights mess is the fact that the U.S. Corps of Engineers expects levee failures should Gustav strike New Orleans.

The distraction of such a catastrophic event, whether it causes any harm at all will dampen the events at the Republican Convention this week. Republican hopeful John McCain and his number two, Sarah Palin will be upstaged by the super-delegate Gustav – the drunk at the tea party, so to speak.

Adding to this potential disaster, virtually any response by the Bush Administration will be offset by its continued failure to deal with the structural failure of the federal government to learn from its lessons and actually take care of post-Katrina problems. This is something that only the federal government can and should have done before and after Hurricane Katrina: adequately repair and strengthen levees around New Orleans, improve and repair pumping systems in low lying areas, secure temporary housing from damage, provide aid and security to American citizens. The list goes on and new disasters will be revealed as the current administration fumbles should this crisis occur.

If Hurricane Gustav strikes the Gulf Coast with significant destructive force, the Republican mantra of minimalist government with its “negligence as policy” approach will again be brought front and center in the American political debate. John McCain and Sarah Palin will be challenged to differentiate themselves from the Bush Administration and the Republican Party in this regard. Their spin doctors will be working overtime on this problem.

From a human rights perspective, a more pressing question emerges regarding the Bush Administration’s continuing misconduct: Should gross negligence by the state – in this case, the U.S. government lead by George Bush – constitute a crime against humanity? The ideology of this administration that has cost lives, destroyed a vast mid-section of the American landscape and demonstrated a willful disregard for black Americans and those on the lower end of the economic spectrum has had a result not much different than actions by a third world despot victimizing his subjects.

This is the first in a series of profiles on organizations involved in labor and human rights. We urge you to comment on our brief profiles with your insights and additional information.

What Is the ILO?

The International Labour Organization (ILO) was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice. In 1946 it then became the first specialized agency under the United Nations following World War II. Its mission is to provide the framework for decent working conditions for people around the world; including job related security and better living standards. It is the ILO’s belief that work is integral to our lives and well-being and is the main route out of poverty for the 2 billion people living today on one dollar a day. The ILO was charged with the creation of international labor standards and strives to maintain them today.

How does the ILO work?

Member states (each represented by one employer and one worker delegate and two government delegates) meet at the International Labour Conference once annually in June in Geneva to discuss, establish and adopt international labour standards, approve the budget and elect the Governing Body.

The Governing Body is the executive council of the ILO and meets three times annually. It makes decisions on ILO policy, establishes the program and budget to then submit to the conference for adoption.

The International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the ILO where the Director General is housed. It is overseen by the Governing Body.

ILO Conventions – What Are They and What Do They Mean?

The core standards are:

• Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
• Elimination of Forced and Compulsory Labour
• Elimination of Workplace Discrimination
• Abolition of Child Labour

In summary, the core standards indicate that all workers shall be free to organize and associate with other workers as they see fit. All workers shall not be coerced or otherwise obliged to work without their consent. Discrimination in regard to sex, race, class or sexual orientation is not tolerated under the standards. And finally no person under the age of 16 shall be allowed to work.

These protections are integral to ensuring worker safety and satisfaction under the auspices of the United Nations International Labour Organization and are widely accepted around the world as the standard for workers’ human rights. As these standards become more and more well known companies strive to integrate them as part of the corporate social responsibility mandates.

In March 2008 Around 250 trade union representatives at France Telecom demonstrated outside the company’s headquarters yesterday. The workers were protesting against job cuts and the closure of sites. For a French based company, this is business as usual. Previously, in 2006 the company launched a restructuring plan that aims to achieve 22,000 voluntary redundancies over three years. Overall, FT has maintained a relatively cordial relationship with its workers and their representatives and has managed to demonstrate a modicum of corporate social responsibility. Read more »

According to the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, 168 public companies have adopted a formal company policy statement explicitly referring to human rights. According to the Centre, each of these companies has “taken the step of adopting a formal company policy statement explicitly referring to human rights are included, whether or not they participate in the Global Compact.”

The list of companies adopting a formal human rights policy can be found at the Centre’s website.

An article in yesterday’s East African does a nice job of summarizing the current situation in Zimbabwe. Writer Francois Grignon argues:

Dismantling the military structure’s control over the country’s politics, economy and civilian administration is crucial for the country’s future. But this will only be possible if real executive powers are handed over to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the ongoing talks.

This is the biggest sticking point in the negotiations between Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and Tsvangirai’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

I urge readers of this blog to take a look at this article.