Dahua Joins UN Compact Prohibiting Human Rights Abuses, Despite Own Record
Dahua is touting its acceptance into a UN initiative whose core principles prohibit human rights abuses, despite Dahua's own record including "Uyghur warnings."
In this post, IPVM examines this incident, how Dahua was accepted, and what this shows.
Executive Summary
Dahua has joined the 'UN Global Compact', a UN-launched initiative that states businesses should ensure "they are not complicit in human rights abuses," despite Dahua's extensive record of providing rights-abusing surveillance against Uyghurs and others.
Dahua's announcement touts its various environmental initiatives but omits any mention of its own human rights issues, raising concerns Dahua is 'greenwashing' its record. The UN charges $15,000 annually for an organization of Dahua's size. Dahua's admission also raises concerns about the Compact's vetting process.
Dahua has been sanctioned by the US for human rights abuses, but the Compact only bars firms with UN sanctions. The Compact did not explain to IPVM why it accepted Dahua but said it would "review" any concern raised by "external stakeholders."
Global Compact Background
Launched by the UN in 1997, the UN Global Compact is a US-based nonprofit focused on encouraging businesses to adopt UN human rights and sustainability principles. The Compact - which has 23,615 participants - is non-binding, fully voluntary, and acts "more like a guide dog than a watch dog," its website says.
The main commitment for members is submitting an annual "Communication on Progress" (COP) report that details a company's "work to embed the Ten Principles into their strategies and operations". Dahua's COP is due in June 2024.
Human Rights Core Principles
The core of the UN Global Compact is its Ten Principles. The first two principles are about human rights, specifically ensuring businesses "are not complicit in human rights abuses":
Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
The Global Compact defines "complicity" as "failure to act" in a way that "helps" another party "to carry out a human rights abuse".
Dahua Touts Acceptance
On October 9, Dahua issued a press release touting it has "successfully joined" the Compact:
Dahua Technology, a world-leading video-centric AIoT solution and service provider, successfully joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative together with thousands of companies around the world, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible business action in support of broader societal goals. [emphasis added]
Indeed, the Compact's registry now includes Dahua, joining longtime members like Axis, Huawei, and Assa Abloy. However, most surveillance manufacturers such as Hikvision, Uniview, Milestone, Genetec, and Avigilon have not joined.
Outside of surveillance, big tech firms like Microsoft and Samsung are also members, although Apple and Google are not.
Dahua Promotes Environment, No Mention Of Human Rights
Dahua's press release does not mention its own human rights record but focuses entirely on environmental and climate issues, e.g.:
Over the years, Dahua has demonstrated its unwavering efforts and support towards sustainable development and environmental protection [...] Dahua actively promotes green and low-carbon products and solutions by implementing low-power consumption product design [emphasis added]
This raises concerns of 'greenwashing', the practice of using the environment to distract attention from human rights (or other types) of abuses. For example, human rights activists accused Greenpeace of 'greenwashing' Egypt's image in 2022 because Egypt was hosting a major climate summit.
Dahua And Human Rights Abuses
Dahua has a well-documented record of involvement in human rights abuses, e.g.:
- Dahua won almost $1 billion USD in Xinjiang police surveillance projects, including building and operating Xinjiang police stations. The UN itself found Xinjiang Surveillance "Highly Invasive" And Part Of Possible Crimes Against Humanity.
- Dahua has been caught offering 'Uyghur warnings' to PRC police and Uyghur tracking in its SDK.
- Dahua offers "skin color" analytics for "black", "white", and "yellow" skin color in its cameras.
- Dahua co-authored PRC police standards tracking "skin color" and ethnicity.
- Dahua was sanctioned by the US in October 2019 over "human rights violations and abuses" and "high-technology surveillance" against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.
- Dahua was again sanctioned by the US in October 2022 as part of US sanctions against firms who provide "surveillance technology" to "commit human rights abuses".
For a video overview, see below:
Despite this evidence, Dahua has consistently denied involvement in human rights abuses and even recently defended its "skin color" analytics as a "basic feature".
Dahua's 2022 ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) report makes no mention of Xinjiang or any of its human rights issues or any efforts to investigate this.
How Dahua Was Accepted
The UN Global Compact has clear "exclusionary criteria" that prohibit any firm sanctioned by the UN or involved in tobacco or cluster bomb production.
However, Dahua has never been sanctioned by the UN, only the US. This means that technically, Dahua is allowed to join the Compact.
However, the fact that Dahua was admitted despite extensive/public reporting about its involvement in rights abuses raises questions about the Compact's admissions process when it comes to human rights.
Membership Costs $15,000 Per Year
A PRC company with Dahua's revenue pays the Global Compact $15,000 per year to be included, according to the Global Compact's own calculator.
Global Compact Response
IPVM asked the UN Global Compact if Dahua ever disclosed its full human rights record in its application and whether it was even aware of this before admitting Dahua.
The UN Global Compact told IPVM "we do not comment on allegations about individual companies" but that it will review "any concern raised" by "external stakeholders":
At the UN Global Compact, we support companies to be more ambitious and transparent in their efforts to implement the Ten Principles and make progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Participants commit to the UN Secretary General to take a responsible approach to conduct business guided by the Ten Principles, and in support of UN goals. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on allegations about individual companies nor on any process that may be established under our Integrity Measures. Any concern raised to the UN Global Compact by external stakeholders will be reviewed by our office and a response will be provided in alignment with the Integrity Measures policy. [emphasis added]
IPVM followed up, asking the UN Global Compact if this means Dahua is under review. So far, it has not responded, but we will update if they do.
Global Compact Prior Criticism
The UN Global Compact has previously been criticized for admitting controversial firms, e.g., the NGO ActionAid has said the Compact "is not worth the paper it is printed on" after admitting mining giant Anglo American, which remains a member.
Dahua Response
IPVM reached out to Dahua on Wednesday, October 11. However, they have not yet provided comment. If / when they do, IPVM will update this report.
UPDATE - "Frankly Shocking": Uyghur Human Rights Project
Louisa Greve, advocacy director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, tells IPVM it is "frankly shocking" Dahua was allowed to join, saying the UN Global Compact is helping "whitewash Dahua's complicity":
It is frankly shocking that a company offering "Uyghur warnings" to Xinjiang police would be allowed to join the UN Global Compact. The UN Global Compact is helping to whitewash Dahua's complicity with atrocity crimes. [emphasis addeed]
Impact Examined
Dahua's admission is positive for the company, which is already using this to market its booth for the upcoming CPSE 2023 expo, the PRC's largest surveillance industry conference. However, it will do little to improve Dahua's image amid the broader 'Not Made in China' marketing trend.
Overall, this raises clear issues about whether the UN Global Compact's vetting process enables companies with poor human rights compliance to improve their image.
Update (03/20/24): While Dahua announced its membership in the UN Global Compact in October 2023, its page on the Compact's website states that it joined several months prior on August 20, 2023.