News Archive
December 7, 2018
Novemeber 2018
Featured
Deputy Director, Paul Barrett, is quoted in a piece written by Emma Thomasson and Ruma Paul which discusses Bangladesh clothing factories and the future of the manufacturing industry in the country.
Director, Michael Poser, is quoted as an expert on refugee policy in a Newsweek article that discusses the migration of asylum seekers to the border of the US and Mexico.
August 2018
Featured
Deputy Director, Paul Barrett, is quoted in a piece written by Emma Thomasson and Ruma Paul which discusses Bangladesh clothing factories and the future of the manufacturing industry in the country.
Director, Michael Poser, is quoted as an expert on refugee policy in a Newsweek article that discusses the migration of asylum seekers to the border of the US and Mexico.
July 2018
Featured
Deputy Director, Paul Barrett, is quoted in a piece written by Emma Thomasson and Ruma Paul which discusses Bangladesh clothing factories and the future of the manufacturing industry in the country.
Director, Michael Poser, is quoted as an expert on refugee policy in a Newsweek article that discusses the migration of asylum seekers to the border of the US and Mexico.
June 2018
Featured
Deputy Director, Paul Barrett, is quoted in a piece written by Emma Thomasson and Ruma Paul which discusses Bangladesh clothing factories and the future of the manufacturing industry in the country.
Director, Michael Poser, is quoted as an expert on refugee policy in a Newsweek article that discusses the migration of asylum seekers to the border of the US and Mexico.
April 2018
Featured
The Center’s study is quoted in a CNBC piece covering the fifth anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed over a thousand people.
John Yang talks with Paul Barrett, deputy director of the Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.
“Five years later, the situation is complicated, according to a recent study conducted by the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University’s Stern School of Business.”
“But the Bangladesh experiment has been only partially successful. The European and American companies limited their reach and left thousands of factories untouched. The Bangladeshi government, meanwhile, has demonstrated little willingness to change its lackadaisical attitude toward regulation.”
“A new report from the NYU Stern Center estimates it will cost $1.2 billion to remediate poor conditions in still-dangerous Bangladesh’s RMG factories.
“An estimated US$1.2 billion would be required for remediating the safety hazards in the readymade garment factories left out of the safety inspection and remediation process so far, according to a report of the NYU Stern Centre for Business and Human Rights.”
“Those are the main findings of a report by the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University’s Stern School of Business. The report calls for an international task force, led by Bangladeshis and funded by the brands and retailers that profit from Bangladeshi apparel, to make all of the country’s factories safer.
“The study titled ‘Five Years After Rana Plaza: The Way Forward’ conducted by the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights estimates that there are more than 3,000 subcontracting factories in the country and it will take $1.2 billion to remediate major life-threatening safety concerns in the units.”
Deputy Director Paul Barrett comments on the state of Bangladeshi garment sector five years after Rana Plaza.
March 2018
Featured
Deputy Director, Paul Barrett, is quoted in a piece written by Emma Thomasson and Ruma Paul which discusses Bangladesh clothing factories and the future of the manufacturing industry in the country.
Director, Michael Poser, is quoted as an expert on refugee policy in a Newsweek article that discusses the migration of asylum seekers to the border of the US and Mexico.
January 2018
Featured
Deputy Director, Paul Barrett, is quoted in a piece written by Emma Thomasson and Ruma Paul which discusses Bangladesh clothing factories and the future of the manufacturing industry in the country.
Director, Michael Poser, is quoted as an expert on refugee policy in a Newsweek article that discusses the migration of asylum seekers to the border of the US and Mexico.
December 2017
Featured
WASHINGTON POST
Deputy Director Paul Barrett commends Google’s announcement that it will hire more human moderators to flag extremist or disturbing content online but highlights the need to devote similar resources to political disinformation online.
november 2017
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BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK
Paul Barrett writes an op ed arguing that internet companies can make more progress against lies and terror through transparency. One need only look at what they’ve already done.
september 2017
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THE ECONOMIST
Maybe weary of its role as a punchbag for moralists, and certainly in search of products with widespread appeal, Wall Street has taken to selling products linked to virtue. That is not easy: how does an industry focused on financial returns go about gauging goodness?
august 2017
Featured
QUARTZ
More and more, shoppers today want to know their products were made ethically and sustainably, and clothing is one category they’ve put under particular scrutiny. H&M’s newly launched label, Arket, and its website, which went live on Aug. 25, gives the location and name of the factory where each and every piece of clothing was made.
WASHINGTON POST
Migrant workers are on the front line of the gulf’s diplomatic rift because of the kafala labor sponsorship system. That system makes migrant laborers reliant on their employers for visas, accommodation and even permission to enter or exit the country.
WASHINGTON POST
Fashion companies’ websites are a rhetorical jungle of vague, virtuous-sounding self-description. As they boast of “ethical sourcing” and “positive impact,” the companies seek to reassure consumers and investors of brands’ commitments to “transparency” and “sustainability” — two of the most fashionable buzzwords in modern marketing.
july 2017
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WIRED
In their op-ed, Tara Wadhwa and Gabriel Ng explain why the new German law aimed at combating hate speech online puts big internet platforms in an invidious position.
june 2017
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THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Dorothee Baumann Pauly and Auret van Heerden outline the four changes that must be enacted in order to upgrade Bangladesh’s garment sector and ensure laborers have safe and sustainable work environments.
may 2017
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THE NEW YORKER
Mike Posner writes on the importance of strong human rights advocacy as a part of the US Foreign Policy agenda and the dangers of the Trump Administration in abandoning it.
PR NEWSWIRE
On May 1st the Fair Labor Association (FLA) announced the selection of Michael Posner as the Chair of its Board of Directors. “Mike’s extensive experience advocating for the rights of workers in an increasingly complex global economy makes him the right choice to chair the FLA Board at this time” said FLA President and CEO Sharon Waxman.
APRIL 2017
Featured
THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION NEWS
David Segall’s op-ed explains how business practices contribute to exploitative recruitment of Gulf migrant workers. Namely that recruitment agents ultimately charge workers to recruit them, not only to cover costs, but also turn a profit.
CO.DESIGN
Using the Center’s latest report on the Construction industry, Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan details the complexity of the global construction industry–and its role in the systematic abuse of workers in the Gulf region, which draws millions of people from South Asian countries with the lure of work on skyscrapers, arenas, and other construction projects.
NEWSWEEK
In his op-ed, Mike Posner argues that the administration’s intention to sell new weapons to Saudi Arabia, ignores the human rights abuses happening in those countries and fail to meet a standard articulated by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at his confirmation hearing in January.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The AP covers the Center’s latest report detailing the practice of migrants working in the multi-billion dollar construction industry are shouldering the costs of their own recruitment fees while companies and their clients are reaping the benefits from inexpensive labor.
march 2017
Featured
QUARTZ
Marc Bain writes on the failure of corporate transparency around environmental, social and governance issues to translate to meaningful performance outcomes, citing the Center’s report Putting the “S” in ESG: Measuring Human Rights Performance for Investors.
MARKETWATCH
In their op-ed, O’Connor and Labowitz reveal the findings of their study on metrics concluding that though there are many initiatives striving to measure human rights, none sufficiently evaluate what matters most: outcomes and performance
THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Mike Posner argues that President Trump’s travel ban threatens America’s culture of ambition, innovation & creativity.
January 2017
Featured
The World Economic Forum is treating fake news as an urgent matter of global human rights, designating one of its Global Future Councils to the topic. Mike Posner weighs in as the Chair of that council.
THE HILL
In his op-ed Mike Posner discusses lessons learned from Ernest Lefever’s confirmation process that can be applied to the current congressional confirmation to ensure appointees fully respect the offices for which they have been nominated.
OCTOBER 2016
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NEWSWEEK
In this op-ed, Mike Posner highlights Haiti’s urgent need for support, which will only be exacerbated by the effects of Hurricane Matthew.
SEPTEMBER 2016
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REUTERS
Sarah Labowitz comments on the advantage of direct communication between workers and brands presented by technology but cautions that technology isn’t a solution on its own.
HUFFINGTON POST
Sarah Labowitz and Hanne Dalmut point to the need for greater attention to labor abuses in the fishing industry, a topic missing from Secretary of State Kerry’s 3rd Our Oceans Annual Conference.
Mike Posner offers insights on the how business have improved respect for human rights through their operations and the role of business, government and society in the age of globalization.
NATIONAL POST
Sarah Labowitz comments on what’s changed in Bangladesh since the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse and the need to keep buying clothes from Bangladesh.
August 2016
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Sarah Labowitz on why a convention isn’t enough to improve labor conditions in the global supply chain and what successful governance in this space should look like.
July 2016
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As Bangladesh indicts 38 factory owners for murder, Sarah Labowitz comments on the need for collective action that includes factory owners to improve working conditions.
June 2016
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Following the ILO conference, Sarah Labowitz comments on the need to go beyond a convention and think creatively on how best to hold all actors accountable in the supply chain.
Sarah weighs in on the key take aways from the International Labor Organization’s 2016 Conference which put global supply chains on the agenda for the first time.
Sarah speaks with Russ on the dialogue on global supply chains at the International Labor Organization’s Conference and new approaches to worker rights and accountability.
may 2016
Featured
Michael Posner is interviewed by Phillip Adams. They discuss his belief that corporations can build better businesses if they make them fairer, more equitable and environmentally responsible – and he’s out to prove it.
Mike Posner on the role business can play in helping improve labor conditions by integrating human rights standards into their daily operations.
Mike Posner and Nishan Degnarain discuss slave labor in the fishing industry and make recommendation on how to improve human rights in the sector’s supply chain.
Justine Nolan links global outsourcing to modern day slavery. “Whether or not corporations directly oversee their work environments, they have a responsibility to ensure that slavery is not occurring in their supply chains.”
april 2016
Featured
Clear admit talks to Dorothee Baumann Pauly and Sarah Labowitz about the launch of the Center’s textbook, Business and Human Rights: From Principles to Practice, the first ever textbook on business and human rights.
Taking stock of what changes have been implemented since the Rana Plaza factory collapse three years ago, Sarah Labowitz advocates for more financial support from stakeholders to improve factory safety in Bangladesh.
Sarah Labowitz discusses what has changed in terms of factory safety and labor rights in the three years since the collapse at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh.
The NYT Women in the World reports on the lack of protections for workers, most of whom are women, in Bangladesh’s garment sector 3 years after the Rana Plaza factory collapse. The report produced by the Center’s all female research team sheds light on the real problem and offers a practical way forward.
Though more attention is being paid to how fast fashion is produced, there is still a long way to go in ensuring that the workers who provide the labor are safe in doing so. Sarah Labowitz comments on what is left to be done and what resources it will take to get there.
Sarah Labowitz discusses the challenges of transnational governance and why naming and shaming of companies is a flawed solution.
Sarah Labowitz how globalization has made it critical that MBA students study the human rights implications of business.
march 2016
Featured
The President’s trip to Havana is the first since Calvin Coolidge. Mike Posner advocates for a principled approach to begin the task of bringing human rights protections to the Cuban people.
february 2016
Featured
An interview with Dorothee Baumann Pauly, the Center’s Research Director, on her areas of focus and the business and human rights field.
january 2016
Featured
Mike Posner discusses the causes and implications of the “disappearance” of senior executives from at least 34 Chinese companies over the last year.
A profile on the Center’s Co-Director Sarah Labowitz outlines her passion for human rights and vision for the future of the field.
December 2015
Featured
Mike Posner and other experts on the economy and the labor market offer their reasons for optimism and pessimism going into 2016.
Chantal Fernandez writes on the recent arrest warrants issued against twenty-four people who fled Rana Plaza murder charges amidst the Center’s reports on the lack of industry reform.
The progress made by the Accord and the Alliance has been painfully slow since they formed in the wake of the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse. But even if they were remaking the industry at record pace, there’s another problem: Together they’re only looking at 27% of Bangladesh’s factories.
Reporter Siobhan O’Grady features the Center’s new report and interactive map to highlight the persisting problem of factory safety in Bangladesh’s garment sector.
Gillian B. Tett cites the Center’s report “Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg: Bangladesh’s Forgotten Apparel Workers” in her article examining what, if any, changes have been made to improve labor rights in Bangladesh’s garment sector.
Sarah Labowitz explains why the time is right for improving factory conditions in Bangladesh, and what can be done to protect workers.
November 2015
Featured
Mike Posner highlights the benefits of the “Shared Responsibility” model and it’s potential to be more effective than the current policing model in improving workers’ rights in the global supply chain.
David Segall identifies obstacles to improving the lives of migrant construction workers and advocates for collective action to ensure the rights of those who construct our skylines.
october 2015
Featured
Lindsy Van Gelder talks factory safety with Sarah Labowitz in her profile on the human cost of cheap clothes.
Sarah Labowitz joins Joe Geni on his podcast to discuss supply chains, CSR, Bangladeshi manufacturing facilities, government regulation, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and more.
SEPTEMBER 2015
Featured
THE STANFORD POLITICAL JOURNAL
Jonathan Faust, Stanford 2018, interviews Mike Posner on the improvement of workers’ rights around the globe and the challenges yet to be overcome.
The Center’s research on Bangladesh is featured in a story on emerging women union leaders in the garment sector there.
AUGUST 2015
Featured
Sarah Labowitz and Sanchita Saxena explain why the policing model fails to ensure factory safety and how a model of shared responsibility can better protect workers.
JULY 2015
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Profile of the Center as both educators of the next generation of business leaders and advocates for respect for human rights in business operations.
Mike Posner and Della Bradshaw discuss the importance of incorporating human rights into business school education.
june 2015
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MAY 2015
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Peter Leahey, Graduate Fellow, analyzes what it would take for Bangladesh’s to meet its $50bn RMG export target by 2021.
APRIL 2014
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As many University students advocate for divestment from companies that mine fossil fuels, Mike Posner offers ‘sustainable investment campaigns’ as the alternative.
Nayantara Banerjee explains why mapping both registered and unregistered garment facilities in Dhaka, Bangladesh is integral in creating safer working conditions.
mARCH 2015
Featured
Sarah Labowitz explains the complex challenges facing the garment sector in Bangladesh as a panelist in the 2015 Ethical Sourcing Forum
How to pay for factory repairs in Bangladesh? Sarah Labowitz quoted in former World Bank staffer Motoko Aizawa’s opinion piece on social impact bonds
Sarah Labowitz on failure to address root causes of threats to workers rights in Bangladesh’s manufacturing sector
february 2015
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January 2015
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NYU Law announces the creation of Robert L. Bernstein Institute for Human Rights
December 2014
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Sarah Labowitz stresses importance of holistic approach to remediation for garment factories in Bangladesh
November 2014
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Vijay Padmanabhan on the Detroit financing deal as a model for fixing factories in Bangladesh
THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Professor Mike Posner on how universities can put their economic clout to good use
October 2014
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September 2014
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July 2014
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Sarah Labowitz on how Detroit’s efforts to address blight can be adapted to the garment sector in Bangladesh
Sarah Labowitz on improvements in Bangladesh – ‘It still takes three months to get a new fire door’
April 2014
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Report: A year after Bangladesh disaster, Sarah Labowitz on ongoing concners & retailers failure to address biggest factory risks
Center report highlights Accord & Alliance do not take into account the entire universe of factories
Center report finds Alliance and Accord agreements do not encompass all factories in Bangladesh
February 2014
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January 2014
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December 2013
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September 2013
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July 2013
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Sarah Labowitz writes “The $250 million commitment to Bangladesh’s factories misses the point”
may 2013
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Mike Posner stresses importance of US retailers matching the commitment of their European counterparts to improve factory safety in Bangladesh
Mike Posner: Big brand companies must take responsibility for implications of outsourcing
FORBES
Katharine Kendrick on the risks associated with data localization requests from China and Russia