Today in Sudan, there are hundreds of thousands who are suffering, who are hungry, who have seen their daughters raped and their fathers killed, who live in daily fear. In the Darfur region of the Sudan, bloody war has been raging for years. The United Nations estimates that more than 400,000 people have been killed and 2 million have been forced from their homes. The people of Darfur have faced these horrors at the hands of their own government largely because of their ethnicity. The Sudanese government also has a long history of human rights violations and persecution of religious groups.

Recently, I implemented a new policy that shows that North Carolina will not sit by as the people of Darfur suffer. The North Carolina Retirement Systems, representing more than $70 billion in assets, has stopped investing in nine companies that are known to aid the Sudanese government. These companies are the worst corporate offenders. They are providing monetary or military support to the Sudanese government, and they are on the lists of every state, every organization and every company researching this issue.

As the ninth largest public pension fund in the nation, we have both the clout and the financial resources to make a difference. Going forward, our staff will work with other states and pension funds to identify additional companies whose operations are supporting the Sudanese government's actions. We will engage these companies and encourage them to change their behavior. Our best opportunity to make a difference is through engagement that leads to change. But if change does not happen or is not real, we will again be forced to end our investments.

This policy is rooted in what is right for the people of Darfur, but also what is right for the 700,000 North Carolinians who count on me to protect their retirement. These companies' involvement in the conflict in Sudan is not only morally repugnant, but it also poses serious risks to the bottom line. Relationships with the Sudanese government put these companies at risk for fines, lawsuits and other sanctions, as well the loss of esteem in the world and economic community.

While North Carolina's actions will not end the conflict in Sudan, they will make companies around the world stand up and take notice. Our new policy sends a strong message that those who condone genocide will face serious consequences. And it is my hope that our actions will encourage others to follow - other states, other organizations, and perhaps even our own government in Washington will do more.

A long-time public servant and a Granville County native, State Treasurer Richard Moore is sole fiduciary for over $75 billion in public assets, oversees the pension funds for nearly 700,000 public employees, and manages the debt of state and local governments.