The Sophie Prize for 2006 is awarded to the Argentinean lawyer and human rights activist Romina Picolotti. Ms Picolotti, born in Argentina, is a lawyer and specialises in international law. In 1999 Romina Picolotti founded the Centre for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA), the world’s first organisation solely dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights violated by environmental destruction
28 June, 2006 – Cordoba, Argentina/Oslo, Norway – An international partnership of environmental organisations formed by the Center for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA) in Argentina and the Bellona Foundation headquartered in Norway, has filed a Specific Instance complaint citing breaches to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises by Nordea Bank, the Nordic region’s largest bank, concerning its involvement in Botnia’s pulp mill investment in Uruguay.
June 27, 2006. Buenos Aires. Argentina’s Chief of Cabinet, Alberto Fernandez, announced today, following several weeks of growing uncertainty over the future of Argentina’s Environmental Secretariat, that Romina Picolotti, age 35, human rights advocate, and founder of the Center for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA), recently awarded the Sophie Prize 2006 for her innovative contribution to sustainable development, will be the new chief of Argentina’s Environmental Secretariat. The Secretariat will move up in institutional ranking and depend directly of the Cabinet of Ministers becoming at some near future date, a full Ministry.
Sophie Prize Prize Ceremony
OSLO – June 15, 2006
Gunhild Ørstavik
Sophie Prize Ceemony, Oslo June 15th
Nordea refuses to disclose information about its involvements in controversial Uruguayan pulp mills and is confused about International Court of Justice proceedures
Lecture at the International PEN Congress in Tromsø, Norway, Friday 10 September 2004 and at the Sophe Prize Seminar on June 14th 2006
By Jostein Gaarder
CEDHA Files OECD Complaint against the Finnish Export Credit Agency, Finnvera
For interviews with Sophie Prize winner Romina Picolotti, please contact Anette Langtvet, The Sophie Foundation.
Romina Picolotti will receive the Sophie Prize on a ceremony in Olslo on June 15th
The Sophie Foundation and the Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development have the pleasure of inviting you to meet Romina Picolotti. She and the Sophie Prize founder, Jostein Gaarder, will be the main speakers on the meeting.
International Coalition Unites Denounces Calyon of France for Violations to the Equator Principles for its Support to Finnish Papermill Botnia in Uruguay
Blow to Botnia and ENCE in Uruguayan Papermill Scandal: World Bank Recognizes Flaws in Environmental Impact Studies
Papermills: Crédit Agricole of France Steps in for Botnia Wednesday May 10, 2006 – According to Botnia’s homepage (the Finnish company to construct one of the controversial papermills in Uruguay), Calyon (a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole), would step in to replace ING Group of the Netherlands, which recently withdrew US$480 million due to the increasing risk of the Uruguayan papermill projects.
IFC and MIGA consideration to receive over US$400 million. The filing adds yet another formal international legal dispute to the deepening crisis and long list of complaints that have already The Hague. May 4th, 2006 – Argentina filed a complaint today to the International Court of Justice at the Hague, claiming Uruguay’s violations to the Uruguay River Treaty, in the handling of a near 2 billion dollar investment in a World Bank driven mega pulp paper mill investment in Uruguay on the Argentine border.
April 19, 2006 – Argentina – The Center for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA) representing more than 40,000 local stakeholders in Argentina which are to be impacted by contaminating pulp paper investment by Botnia of Finland, with financing provided by the financial group NORDEA of Sweden, filed a Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights Complaint against NORDEA, drawing attention to the conflict that has arisen due to a multimillion dollar investment in Uruguay and to the many normative, regulatory and human rights violations the Botnia project will and has already caused
Tuesday April 18, 2006 – Helsinki – The Center for Human Rights and Environment, CEDHA, filed today a Specific Instance Complaint to the Finnish National Contact Point (NCP) in Helsinki for Botnia’s failure to comply with OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
ING Group of Netherlands Pulls out of controversial papermill while World Bank postpones loans following critical review of environmental impact studies
Sophie Prize winner 2005 – Sheila Watt-Cloutier – is awarded the 10th Annual Green Cross Millennium Awards for her role in putting a human face on global warming. The award is presented by Global Green USA on April 1st in Los Angeles.
The Sophie Foundation congratulates Sheila Watt-Cloutier with the award.
"Never underestimate
the individuals ability to change the world"
Mahatma Gandhi