16 May 2012

Hundreds of Romani families are trapped in a cycle of forced evictions in Italy.

Forced eviction of Romani families living in an informal camp in via Severini, in Rome, on 26 March 2012.© Amnesty International

Hundreds of Romani families are trapped in a cycle of forced evictions in Italy. Children, men and women living in informal camps are being evicted almost on a daily basis without any legal protection. Very often such forced evictions make them homeless.

Even Roma living in authorized and tolerated camps are at risk of unlawful evictions. “Nomad Plans”, foreseeing the closure of several camps in Rome and Milan, were devised under the “Nomad Emergency”, a discriminatory state of emergency adopted in May 2008. Although the “Nomad Emergency” was eventually declared unlawful last November, authorities are still committed to carrying those plans forward, instead of providing remedies to those who suffered  violations, including through segregation in substandard camps, forced evictions and a decrease in security of tenure.

The Italian government has a responsibility to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of the Roma, including their right to adequate housing. But six months after taking office, the government still has to show its commitment to protecting the rights of the Roma with deeds, and not just with words.

Call on the Minister of Interior and the Minister for Cooperation and Integration to fully respect the rights of Romani children, women and men in Italy.

30 April 2012

India has a historic opportunity to help reduce human suffering caused by a poorly regulated arms trade. Call on India to sign up to an Arms Trade Treaty that contains strong provisions to protect human rights.

India has a unique and historic opportunity to help reduce the human suffering and instability caused by the reckless and poorly regulated trade in weapons, munitions and military and security equipment.

In July 2012, India along with other States will gather at the UN for the final round of negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). India must ensure the treaty has a “Golden Rule” to help protect human rights. This rule should require States to employ a rigorous, objective, case-by-case risk assessment of a proposed transfer or sale of arms. Such assessments should ensure that these arms will not be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. An ATT without the Golden Rule will be meaningless. The treaty must also cover all conventional arms, all types of trade, transfers and transactions and have strong implementation mechanisms.

Disturbingly, global society has no treaty to ensure the strict control of the international trade in conventional arms. That's why governments can easily license irresponsible arms flows to fuel human atrocities and abuse.

India’s citizens have suffered repeated armed attacks and India has stated that its security interests have been “affected by illicit and irresponsible transfers, especially of small arms, light weapons and explosives.”

By signing up to a “Golden Rule” in the Arms Trade Treaty, India will show that it is truly committed to ensuring the security of its own citizens and that of the world.

Please sign this petition to the Indian Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna urging India to support the “Golden Rule.”

01 May 2012

Abuzar Al Amin was convicted on charges believed to be politically motivated, sentenced and subsequently released on bail. He is limited in his capacity to work and cannot write for his newspaper anymore. Call for all charges against him to be dropped.  

Journalist Abuzar Al-Amin, from Rai Al Shaab newspaper holds a placard reading 'Freedom of Expression... constitutional right' ©Private

Abuzar Al Amin, former deputy editor-in-chief of Rai Al Shaab, a Sudanese newspaper affiliated with the opposition Popular Congress Party, was arrested in May 2010. Rai Al Shaab’s office was raided and shut down by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) the following day. He was convicted and sentenced to five year’s imprisonment on 14 July 2010 under articles 50 and 66 of the 1991 Criminal Act, for “undermining the Constitution” and “publishing false news” in relation to articles he wrote that were considered critical of the government. One article was an opinion piece, which claimed that the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir did not enjoy wide support among the population. In May 2011, the Supreme Court reduced his sentence to one year and his release was marked for 3 July. The NISS brought a further two charges against him two weeks prior to his release date.

Abuzar Al Amin was finally released on bail on 22 August 2011. However, the charges against him have not been dropped and he has not been brought before a court. As a result, he is currently limited in his capacity to work due to the risk of re-arrest. His newspaper Rai Al Shaab had been reopened in October 2011 but was shut down again on 2 January 2012.

Abuzar Al Amin was considered a prisoner of conscience at the time of his detention, during which he was held incommunicado and reportedly tortured and otherwise ill-treated by the NISS.

The right to freedom of expression has long been curtailed in Sudan. In the last two years, the government’s intolerance to dissent intensified, and with it, the repression of all vocal critics of the ruling party. Journalists facing criminal charges like Abuzar Al Amin constantly fear arrest and intimidation.

Amnesty International is calling for all charges against Abuzar Al Amin to be dropped, including the charges brought against him in July 2011, which are believed to be politically motivated.  Join us in demanding an end to these violations.

TAKE ACTION

Send an email to the Minister of Justice in Sudan, Mohammed Bushara Dusa, urging him to drop all charges against Abuzar Al Amin.

03 April 2012

On 17 December 2010, approximately 350 people (76 families), the vast majority Roma, were forcibly evicted by local authorities from Coastei Street, in the centre of the city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in violation of Romania’s international human rights obligations.

New Pata Rat area in Cluj-Napoca –Romania  © Joshua Tree Photography

On 17 December 2010, approximately 350 people (76 families), the vast majority Roma, were forcibly evicted by local authorities from Coastei Street, in the centre of the city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in violation of Romania’s international human rights obligations.

 Forty families were re-housed in new housing units on the outskirts of the city in the New Pata Rat area, close to the city’s garbage dump and a former dump for chemical waste. The housing provided is inadequate. “The room is very small; the water from outside is coming through the walls. It is really bad, it is a nightmare…This is no place to stay with a family…Next to me, there is a family with 13 people, including 11 children, who live in one room”, said Marius*, one of the Roma relocated to the new houses. No hot water or gas connection is provided, although water, sewage and electricity are supplied.

The other thirty six families were not provided with any alternative housing. While seven of them are being hosted by relatives who were allocated rooms in the housing units, the remaining twenty nine families maintain they were allowed by the municipality to construct improvised homes on the plot near the housing units. “I have just a piece of land and I built [the house] from materials gathered from the garbage. I froze the entire winter because [the house] is not insulated”, said Lia*. The families have no access to water, sanitation and electricity. With only a verbal agreement from the municipality and no formal title to the land, they lack security of tenure and live in daily fear of eviction and of losing their homes again.

The closest bus stop is approximately 2.5 km away, severely impacting their access to education, employment and other essential services. People from the New Pata Rat also reported deteriorated health after the eviction and the relocation. “Everywhere you go around here, all you see is garbage and a strong smell that affects our health day by day” said Aura*.

The families, together with local activists, have repeatedly raised their concerns regarding their living conditions with the municipality of Cluj-Napoca. The requests are yet to be met by the local authorities who so far have not remedied the human rights violations suffered by people forcibly evicted from Coastei Street and relocated to New Pata Rat. The consequences of the forced eviction continue to affect them and they fear that they will remain abandoned by the authorities.

* Names changed to protect identity

Send an email to the mayor of Cluj-Napoca. A copy of your email will also go to the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism – responsible for housing.

22 March 2012

Teacher Johan Teterissa is serving 15 years in prison for taking part in a peaceful protest in Maluku, Indonesia. He is one of 90 prisoners of conscience in Indonesia.

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Johan Teterissa was arrested in June 2007 for his part in a peaceful protest during which the Benang Raja flag – a banned symbol of Maluku independence – was raised. He was tortured by police and continues to suffer from internal injuries as a result. He is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released, along with all other prisoners of conscience in Indonesia.

04 April 2012

The European Union (EU) is adopting a common EU resettlement scheme and countries in the European Union are being asked to pledge by the 1 May 2012 how many refugees they will resettle in 2013.

Choucha Refugee Camp, Tunisia © Amnesty International

 

The European Union (EU) is adopting a common EU resettlement scheme and countries in the European Union are being asked to pledge by the 1 May 2012 how many refugees they will resettle in 2013. Take action to ensure that sufficient numbers are being pledged: send an email to the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

EU States join the programme voluntarily and can receive funding from the European Refugee Fund for each person they resettled under a specific set of criteria.

1 May is the deadline for states to submit the estimated number of people they plan to resettle in 2013 in order to make use of additional funding that is available from the scheme. 

Write to the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and ask the Minister to encourage as many states to take part in the programme and make a real commitment towards resettling refugees.

20 March 2012

The failure by the oil industry to properly clean up oil spills and other pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria leaves people exposed to sustained violations of their economic, social and cultural rights.

We the undersigned write to express our concern about the ongoing impact of oil pollution on economic, social and cultural rights in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

We urge you to acknowledge Shell’s responsibility for the impacts of oil pollution in the Niger Delta, and we call on the company to:

• Contribute the full $1 billion identified by UNEP as the start-up amount needed to establish an independent fund to clean up pollution in Ogoniland.
• Carry out a comprehensive clean-up of oil pollution and environmental damage in Bodo and all other affected sites, in consultation with local communities.
• Support the need for further assessment of oil pollution across the wider oil-producing Niger Delta region.
• Pay fair and adequate compensation to all affected communities.

22 March 2012

The failure by the oil industry to properly clean up oil spills and other pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria leaves people exposed to sustained violations of their economic, social and cultural rights.

We the undersigned write to express our concern about the ongoing impact of oil pollution on economic, social and cultural rights in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

We urge you to acknowledge Shell’s responsibility for the impacts of oil pollution in the Niger Delta, and we call on the company to:

• Contribute the full $1 billion identified by UNEP as the start-up amount needed to establish an independent fund to clean up pollution in Ogoniland.
• Carry out a comprehensive clean-up of oil pollution and environmental damage in Bodo and all other affected sites, in consultation with local communities.
• Support the need for further assessment of oil pollution across the wider oil-producing Niger Delta region.
• Pay fair and adequate compensation to all affected communities.

13 March 2012

Recent spotlight on arrest of Joseph Kony underscores outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for 11 other suspects of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The recent spotlight on Joseph Kony, the Ugandan leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC), underscores the outstanding ICC arrest warrants for 11 other suspects of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, the Sudan, and Libya.

Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda, President Omar al-Bashir and other fugitives are often shielded by powerful supporters and states. The ongoing lack of justice means that most of these fugitives are free to commit more crimes, placing civilians in affected areas at great risk.

The 11 with outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrants are:

•    Democratic Republic of Congo: Bosco Ntaganda whom the ICC has charged with enlisting and conscripting children under 15. The Congolese government is shielding him following his integration into the national army.

•    Uganda: Accused Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony and LRA commanders Vincent Otti (presumed dead), Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen continue to evade trial after being charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes. They and the fighters they lead continue to move between the Central African Republic, north-eastern DRC and South Sudan and commit crimes.

•    Sudan: President Omar al-Bashir has been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Darfur region. He has yet to be arrested despite regularly conducting state visits abroad. Sudanese officials Ahmad Harun and Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein and accused “Janjaweed” leader Ali Kushayb are also at large.

•    Libya: Saif al Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi are charged with crimes against humanity committed during the crackdown on protesters in Libya. Saif al-Islam was captured on 19 November 2011 but has not yet been surrendered to the ICC.

The UN has a critical role to play by providing political, diplomatic, and logistical support for efforts to arrest individuals named in ICC arrest warrants and to protect civilians in countries where the ICC is investigating crimes.

However, if the UN is to play a constructive role in protecting civilians and supporting the arrest of ICC fugitives, while respecting human rights, it must provide adequate resources particularly to the UN’s peacekeeping missions in the DRC, South Sudan, and for its office in the CAR. 

Write to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon telling him that you support Amnesty International’s call for the UN to provide all necessary resources to its peacekeeping missions and other offices in the region to protect civilians and support the arrest and surrender of individuals named in ICC arrest warrants.

*Please note that your first name and country will be shared with the UN Secretary General but not your surname and email address. Please consider this information before taking action.

21 March 2012

The irresponsible and poorly regulated arms trade fuels serious human rights abuses, armed violence, poverty and conflict around the world. We could change that now with an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

This global appeal is a joint action from Amnesty International in partnership with Control Arms, IANSA and ITUC.

Millions of people are being killed, injured, raped, repressed and forced to flee their homes every year.

Health, education and other services are being denied and livelihoods destroyed.

The world needs a strong Arms Trade Treaty that will prevent arms transfers if they are likely to contribute directly to serious human rights abuses, war crimes or poverty. The Treaty must cover all conventional arms including ammunition.

I call on every government to secure an ATT that effectively prevents arms from fuelling such atrocities and abuses.

07 March 2012

 

It is time to remind Asma al-Assad that human rights are universal and urge her to use her influence for Syrian women human rights defenders. 

Asma al-Assad, Syrian First Lady 

Since March 2011, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has overseen a brutal crackdown on dissent that has left more than 6,000 people dead, including more than 200 women and girls. Thousands have been arrested, with many held incommunicado for long periods at unknown locations where torture and other ill-treatment are reported to be rife. Amnesty International believes these violations amount to crimes against humanity. 

 

Some women human rights defenders – who have been at the forefront of the peaceful calls for reform – have been forced into hiding, and some have even fled the country. 

 

The Syrian First Lady, Asma al-Assad has repeatedly and publicly portrayed herself as a self-proclaimed champion of women’s and children’s rights; however, in recent months she has done very little to speak out against the brutalities committed by the Syrian government forces. On the contrary, she has even appeared publicly in support of her husband.

 

It is time to remind Asma al-Assad that human rights are universal and urge her to use her influence for Syrian women human rights defenders who work to protect the future for all Syrians.

Take action now! 

Please note that your First Name and Country will be shared with Asma al-Assad, but not your surname or email address. Please consider this information before taking action. 

Fill in your details below to send an email straight to Asma al-Assad

01 March 2012

Every year in African cities thousands of families are thrown out of their homes by the authorities or others without human rights safeguards. These forced evictions shatter lives.

An informal settlement resident in Nairobi, Kenya, demands an end to forced evictions on World Habitat Day 2011. © Amnesty International

 

“When we meet each other from slums across the continent and see our problems are the same it makes us stronger.” -- Philip Kumah, a tailor and resident of Old Fadama slum in Accra, Ghana, under threat of forced eviction.

 

We call on African governments and local government authorities to stop forced evictions and respect housing rights

End forced evictions
Every year in African cities thousands of families are thrown out of their homes by the authorities or others without human rights safeguards. These forced evictions shatter lives. People not only lose their homes, but also their possessions and jobs, and children are forced out of school. People living in informal settlements, or ‘slums’, are most at risk because they may lack formal permissions for the place they live.

This is a massive injustice. No-one can be forcibly evicted, no matter where they live. This is illegal under international and regional human rights standards, which African governments have committed to. Often carried out in the name of ‘development’, forced evictions drive people deeper into poverty and result in many people becoming homeless and destitute. Forced evictions are a problem, not a solution, and they must end.

Housing is a human right
Around three out of every four people living in a sub-Saharan city live in an informal settlement. Their governments have failed to plan for affordable places to live in the city. Most work, pay taxes, vote, put their children through school and contribute to the city’s economy like other urban residents. But they are excluded from city budgets and plans and get inadequate or no access to water, schools, health care and security.

This is against international law: people living in informal settlements have the same rights to adequate housing, water, sanitation, education and health care as all others do.

Call on governments and local government authorities in Africa to:

• Immediately stop forced evictions.
• Pass and implement laws that prohibit forced evictions and set out safeguards that must be strictly followed before any eviction is carried out. These must meet international and regional human rights standards.  
• Take immediate steps to give a minimum degree of security of tenure to all people who don’t have this protection, genuinely consulting with the affected communities. 
• Make sure that people living in slums have equal access to water, sanitation, health care, housing, education and fair and effective policing. 
• Make sure people living in slums genuinely take part in decisions that affect their lives, including slum upgrading, planning and budget processes.

17 February 2012

Displaced Afghans, fleeing war for the relative safety of cities, are facing misery in urban slums.

“Since we came there is no assistance or anything; the family has not eaten anything for the past two days….We are displaced and have lost all our livelihoods,” Zarin, a 70-year old displaced woman originally from Marjah in Helmand province. Kabul alone houses some 35,000 displaced persons.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans fleeing the conflict in southern Afghanistan are condemned to subsist in urban slums risking starvation and hypothermia. At least 40 people have died from the cold, most of them children, in displacement camps across the country during this year's bitter winter.   

As conflict and insecurity have intensified, numbers of displaced Afghans have reached a record half a million.

Displaced Afghans fleeing conflict reach the relative safety of cities only to face other serious problems. With little resources, families construct makeshift dwellings from mud, poles, plywood, plastic sheeting and cardboard, which offer little protection from the weather. Thousands of men, women, and children face the further misery of poor access to food, fuel, water, sanitation, health services and education.

Displaced families told Amnesty International that they could only provide their children with one meal each day at most. Children in slum communities may be refused school attendance if they cannot produce a national identification card, a document which the authorities say can only be obtained in their home province.

“We don’t know where all the international aid is going…we don't know why the government isn't able to provide us with basic shelter,” said Yahya, a man living in Kabul’s Chaman-e-Babrak slum area.

Many government officials deny that internal displacement is a problem or describe displaced persons as "economic migrants". Furthermore, humanitarian organizations are constrained by a de facto government policy to discourage assistance that suggests a degree of permanence for the settlements – meaning that permission is often denied for the construction of latrines and water pumps.

To add to their woes, displaced families are under constant threat of forced eviction. In some cases, families have had to scramble to move their belongings before bulldozers level their shelters.

TAKE ACTION:

To support the rights of the displaced, urge the Afghan government to:  

-    Work with its donor partners to ensure that internally displaced persons and returning refugees receive emergency humanitarian aid without delay to provide for their immediate needs, including housing, food, water and healthcare;
-    Enable internally displaced persons and returning refugees to obtain identification cards throughout the country so that they can exercise their legal rights;
-    Enact and enforce a clear prohibition on forced evictions;
-    And monitor and assess the impact of their military operations on displacement and take all measures to minimise displacement in their areas of operation.

17 February 2012

Khader Adnan started his hunger strike the day following his arrest from his home in the occupied West Bank  to protest his ill-treatment by the Israel Security Agency (ISA).

Khader Adnan's hunger strike has prompted demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip© Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images

Update on 22 Feb. 2012

Palestinian activist Khader Adnan went on hunger strike for 66 days in protest against his detention by the Israeli authorities without charge or trial. He started his hunger strike the day after his arrest from his home in the occupied West Bank on 17 December 2011 to protest his ill-treatment by the Israel Security Agency (ISA).

On 10 January 2012 he was given a four-month administrative detention order signed by a military commander. The Israeli authorities announced on 21 February that the order would not be renewed unless "significant" new evidence emerges, but they have provided no justification for his continued detention.  

Khader Adnan is now in a hospital in northern Israel. He ended his hunger strike on 21 February, but after more than nine weeks, doctors warn that his life remains in imminent danger. He is still under detention and is shackled to his hospital bed at all times and under constant armed guard.  

Administrative detention is a procedure under which detainees are held without charge or trial for periods of up to six months, which can be renewed repeatedly. Under administrative detention, detainees' rights to a fair trial as guaranteed by Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) are consistently violated.

Khader Adnan is one of over 300 Palestinians currently held in administrative detention by the Israeli authorities, including one man held for over five years and 24 Palestinian Legislative Council members. Hundreds of other Palestinian detainees and prisoners joined Khader Adnan's hunger strike. 

Take Action

Support Palestinian activist Khader Adnan’s protest for respect for the human rights of Palestinians in Israeli detention. Call on the Israeli Minister of Defence to:

• Immediately release Khader Adnan and other Palestinians held in administrative detention, or immediately charge and try them for internationally recognizable criminal offences in full conformity with international fair trial standards;
• End the use of administrative detention, which violates the right to a fair trial;
• Ensure that detainees are treated humanely at all times, and that no detainees are punished for their decision to go on hunger strike.

 

17 February 2012

The Peace Community of San José de Apartadó defends its right not to be drawn into Colombia's armed conflict. More than 170 of its members and other local people have been killed or “disappeared“ since 1997.

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On 4 February paramilitaries shot at a member of the Peace Community. This is just the latest attack against Community members and local people. Paramilitaries, acting alone or with the security forces, are responsible for most attacks but some are carried out by guerrilla forces. 21 February marks the seventh anniversary of the killing of eight members of the Community, including four children, by paramilitaries operating with the armed forces. In most cases, the Peace Community cannot get justice for human right abuses. We are campaigning to end impunity and achieve greater protection for the Peace Community.

09 February 2012

On 04 February 2012 Russia and China vetoed a rather weak draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria despite wide spread backing of the resolution by the other UN Security Council members.

A peaceful pro-reform demonstration in Baniyas, Syria, 6 May 2011 -Copyright  Third Party

 

On 04 February 2012 Russia and China vetoed a rather weak draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria despite wide spread backing of the resolution by the other UN Security Council members. 

The veto was accompanied by a shocking escalation in the use of force by the Syrian authorities against several residential areas of Homs. According to our contacts on the ground, more than 300 people have since been killed in Syria, 280 in the city of Homs alone. The majority of the dead are unarmed people. Hundreds others are reported to have been injured and most of them are being treated in makeshift field hospitals or at their homes. Arrests continue to be carried out across Syria and thousands are believed to be detained incommunicado and are at high risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Amnesty International considered the Russian and Chinese governments’ double veto as “completely irresponsible” and a “shockingly callous betrayal of the people of Syria.”

The Syrian government seems to think that the Security Council veto has given it the green light to crush resistance in Syria by any means – Russia needs to make clear, with a loud voice, that this is not the case

 
Send an email to Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov- Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

09 February 2012

On 04 February 2012 Russia and China vetoed a rather weak draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria despite wide spread backing of the resolution by the other UN Security Council members.

A peaceful pro-reform demonstration in Baniyas, Syria, 6 May 2011 - Copyright  Third Party

 

On 04 February 2012 Russia and China vetoed a rather weak draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria despite wide spread backing of the resolution by the other UN Security Council members. 

The veto was accompanied by a shocking escalation in the use of force by the Syrian authorities against several residential areas of Homs. According to our contacts on the ground, more than 300 people have since been killed in Syria, 280 in the city of Homs alone. The majority of the dead are unarmed people. Hundreds others are reported to have been injured and most of them are being treated in makeshift field hospitals or at their homes. Arrests continue to be carried out across Syria and thousands are believed to be detained incommunicado and are at high risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Amnesty International considered the Russian and Chinese governments’ double veto as “completely irresponsible” and a “shockingly callous betrayal of the people of Syria.”

The Syrian government seems to think that the Security Council veto has given it the green light to crush resistance in Syria by any means – Russia needs to make clear, with a loud voice, that this is not the case

TAKE ACTION
Target: Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov- Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Email: ministry@mid.ru

Dear Minister,
I appeal to you and to your government to show leadership and to use your international influence to bring an end to the grave human rights violations being committed in Syria and ensure accountability for abuses committed there.

03 February 2012

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01 February 2012

Shell must accept its share of responsibility for oil pollution in the Niger Delta

Pastor Christian Lekoya Kpandei contemplates the damage done to his fish farm in Bodo, Nigeria, May 2011© AI

The failure by the oil industry to properly clean up oil spills and other pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria exacerbates human suffering and environmental damage, and leaves people exposed to sustained violations of their economic, social and cultural rights.

The two major oil spills which occurred in 2008 in Bodo, in the Ogoniland region of the Niger Delta, continued for weeks before they were stopped – more than three years later Shell has still not cleaned up the pollution.

In August 2011, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) found that Shell has failed to effectively clean up oil pollution in Ogoniland for years. While significant responsibility for human rights abuses in the Niger Delta rests with the Nigerian Government, UNEP’s findings make clear that substantial responsibility also rests with Shell.

Sign the petition to Shell’s Chief Executive demanding that the company OWN UP, PAY UP and CLEAN UP the Niger Delta.

To Peter Voser, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Dutch Shell,

We the undersigned write to express our concern about the ongoing impact of oil pollution on economic, social and cultural rights in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

We urge you to acknowledge Shell’s responsibility for the impacts of oil pollution in the Niger Delta, and we call on the company to:

• Contribute the full $1 billion identified by UNEP as the start-up amount needed to establish an independent fund to clean up pollution in Ogoniland.
• Carry out a comprehensive clean-up of oil pollution and environmental damage in Bodo and all other affected sites, in consultation with local communities.
• Support the need for further assessment of oil pollution across the wider oil-producing Niger Delta region. 
• Pay fair and adequate compensation to all affected communities.