Interview with Robin Aram of Shell and the ICC

CO: Corporations, including Shell, object to the "legalistic" terms and substance of the UN Norms.

• In the context of fierce disagreement around the drafting and review of the UN Norms on the Responsibilities of TNCS and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights, Aram claims that the UN Norms have ‘slightly poisoned the waters’.
• ‘The problem is the legalistic form that has been used in drafting the Norms,’ he says. ‘We didn’t like the look of it. It contained too many whereases’ — the implication being that the Norms are designed to impose legal requirements.
• The ICC in this case is the International Chamber of Commerce.
  
• The interview is from 2006, but it is still worthwhile reading: the link to the interview is available at SustainAbility.
  
• Cite: Aram, R, In the Hot Seat: Robin Aram, Vice President of External Relations, Policy and Social Responsibility, Shell (24 February 2005) available at http://www.sustainability.com/network/business-leader.asp?id=219 (viewed 4 December 2006).

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