Norwegian Ethical NGO on the War Path

Mr. Leif Iversen of the Norwegian organisation Ethical Trading Initiative in August visited the office of the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce. and the Royal Norwegian Embassy. The purpose of Mr.Iversen’s visit was to introduce the organisation’s project for promoting labour standards and other issues grouped under the umbrella term “Ethical”.
The Ethical Trading Initiative – abreviated in Norwegian as IEH – currently focuses especially on Thailand and the Philippines. The organisation promotes a Code of Conduct which is what Ethical Trading Initiative defines as best practice when it comes to maintaining the right of the workers.
The operation may be compared to the Burma action groups demanding that companies abstain from dealing with Burma and environmental groups influencing consumers to boycot products using tropical wooden.
Larger companies are of highest concern, Mr. Iversen told the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce. IEH will for now mainly focus on what they define as child- and refugee-labour abuse, and the workers right to organize.
In Norway, the organisation seeks to influence companies not to purchase goods from companies in Thailand and the Philippines which do not comply with this ethical standard. They also influence consumers to request consumer goods manufacturers only to use suppliers which follow their code.
IEH is a member organization open for all. The purpose of the organization is to make an understanding for the importance of ethical trading, where IEH urge to give an insight to how knowledge, understanding and involvement can contribute to ethically production of goods. Members will receive advice on how they can ensure that imported goods as well as goods for sale are produced according to human rights and other written codes of conduct protecting working conditions.
IEH contact can be made to their e-mail-address: [email protected]. Their website is as follows: http://www.etiskhandel.no

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