As ArcelorMittal invited shareholders to the event, a group of activists took the opportunity to stage a protest outside the steel giant’s Luxembourg City headquarters. The Initiative for a Duty of Care, together with members of international coalitions such as the Fair Steel Coalition, thus gathered outside of the ArcelorMittal building to voice their concerns.
Representatives from Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and Bosnia and Herzegovina had the right to participate in the general meeting itself, where they raised these issues directly. According to Pascal Husting from the Initiative for a Duty of Care, the concerns range widely – from human rights violations in Mexico and a lack of adherence to international standards to the rights of indigenous communities being disregarded. He described it as a “wide spectrum” of human rights and environmental abuses.
Their main demand: a fairer and more responsible steel industry that upholds social, environmental, and human rights standards. They argue that communities in the regions where ArcelorMittal operates are suffering significantly from the steel giant’s activities.
