Organization: Verizon Communications Inc.

Year: 2017

Resolved: Resolved: Shareholders recommend that Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon) establish a Human Rights Committee to review, assess, disclose, and make recommendations to enhance Verizon's corporate policy and practice on human rights. The board of directors is recommended, in its discretion and consistent with applicable laws to (1) designate the members of the committee, (2) provide the committee with sufficient funds for operating expenses, (3) adopt a charter to specify the powers of the committee, (4) empower the committee to solicit public input and to issue periodic reports to shareholders and the public on the committee's activities, findings and recommendations, and (5) adopt any other measures.

Supporting Statement:Supporting Statement: Verizon has to seriously deal with international human rights issues since Yahoo has become part of Verizon. Yahoo failed because of its disastrous unethical human rights practice. US Japan China Comparative Policy Research Institute's Corporate Social Responsibility Review http cpri.tripod.com cpr2016 csrr5.pdf rated Yahoo the lowest F with detailed documents since 2007, including some recently published coverage regarding the Yahoo Human Rights Fund (YHRF) and Yahoo's agent Harry Wu 1) The Statement by Seven Former Chinese Political Prisoners Regarding the Death of Harry Wu and the Abuses of the Yahoo Human Rights Fund https chinachange.org 2016 04 28 statement by seven former chinese political prisoners regarding the death of harry wu and the abuses of the yahoo human rights fund (April 28, 2016) of the approximately $14 15 million of the YHRF that has been spent from 2008 to 2015, only about $700,000 was used to provide humanitarian aid to Chinese dissidents. 2) The Complicated and Contradictory Legacy of Harry Wu https foreignpolicy.com 2016 05 25 the compIicated and contradictory life of harry wu china yahoo (Foreign Policy Report May 25, 2016) he was ready to break rules or even laws. 3) Gadflies at the Gate Why Do Individual Investors Sponsor Shareholder Resolutions? http www.gsb.stanford.edu faculty research publications gadflies gate why do individual investors sponsor shareholder (Stanford Business School, August 2016) introduced my proposal at the 2011 Yahoo shareholders meeting Finally, one investor succeeded in compelling Yahoo to include his proposal on human rights violations following five years of rejection. My proposal mentioned Yahoo Human Rights Fund has been politically abused. 4) Champion of Human Rights in China Leaves a Tarnished Legacy http www.nytimes.com 2016 08 14 us champion of human rights in china leaves a tarnished legacy.html (New York Times August 13, 2016) He......spending more than $13 million of the Yahoo money to operate his own foundation. In some years, financial disclosure forms show that the foundation spent less than 2 percent of annual disbursements on direct assistance to Chinese dissidents or their families; in recent years, such grants all but dried up.