Human rights
Human rights abuses are closer to home than you think
In the 2009 review of The Co-operative Bank's Ethical Policy, we asked customers to tell us which ethical issue they would prioritise above all the others. Human rights issues came out as the single highest priority.
Yet here in the UK, human rights issues can seem quite remote from our everyday lives, even though the organisations that abuse human rights frequently have links to the UK. Just as individuals choose to invest in businesses, so do governments. In this way, businesses all over the world, including UK businesses, continue to support oppressive regimes. Furthermore, certain extremist organisations abuse the right of freedom of speech and advocate discrimination and incitement to hatred against sections of the community.
Our position on Human Rights is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By banking with The Co-operative, you can be sure that your money will not be used to finance governments and businesses that fail to uphold basic human rights or to support organisations that advocate discrimination and incitement to hatred.
In 2008, our Defending Human Rights campaign, in partnership with Amnesty International, marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Arms Trade is a loaded issue
The Arms Trade generates a wide range of opinions. Some oppose the manufacture of arms full stop; some consider the use of certain types of weapons, such as cluster bombs, that have a disproportionate affect on civilians should be restricted. Others see the arms industry as a necessary evil, believing that every country has a right to use armaments in order to defend itself. The picture is perhaps further complicated when you consider that we live in a country that's one of the world's largest arms exporters.
In 2002, we campaigned with Landmine Action in an effort to influence UK government and U.N. policy on the manufacture and use of cluster bombs. Read more about our campaign, Cluster Bombs: the Great Clear-up Operation.
Our policy on human rights
We seek support the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In line with this, we will not finance:
- any government or business which fails to uphold basic human rights within its sphere of influence;
- any business whose links to an oppressive regime are a continuing cause for concern;
- any organisation that advocates discrimination and incitement to hatred;
- the manufacture or transfer of armaments to oppressive regimes;
- the manufacture or transfer of indiscriminate weapons, eg cluster bombs and depleted uranium munitions;
- the manufacture or transfer of torture equipment or other equipment that is used in the violation of human rights.
