Human rights and armaments

Everyone should be entitled to basic human rights, such as a decent standard of living, and safety from torture. While human rights issues can often seem quite remote from our own everyday lives, frequently the organisations that abuse them have links to the UK. Indeed, between 2000 and 2005 alone, £1.2 billion worth of armaments and military equipment was transferred from the UK to countries that fall within The Co-operative Insurance and The Co-operative Investment's definition of an 'oppressive regime'.

So what can we do about it? We have committed to supporting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and will challenge the companies in which we invest to do so also. We're determined to make ourselves heard, and, as a shareholder, our words cannot be ignored.

Our policy statement on human rights and armaments

We support the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and will challenge organisations that:

• undermine basic, universal human rights, e.g. tolerate unfair discrimination;
• support, or benefit from, governments that oppress human rights;
• manufacture or transfer armaments to oppressive regimes;
• manufacture torture equipment or other equipment that is used in the violation of human rights.

Our policy in practice

Human rights in Burma and Sudan

There are many oppressive regimes across the world; however, Burma presents a combination of circumstances that make a particularly compelling case for action. We have engaged with several companies about their continued presence in the country, including various Chinese companies.

We also encouraged several companies operating in Sudan to avoid complicity in abuses of human rights but also to use its influence to encourage the government towards peace and emphasise the value to foreign investors of an end to the violence in Darfur. We advocated that companies adopt policies on the use of security forces; transparency of payments to the government; social programmes; and political influence.

TCAM also held discussions with Aggreko, which provides large-scale power shortage relief in natural disaster and post-conflict situations, to ask that they establish measures to secure human rights within its sphere of influence.