Wanted: corporate accountability legislation
A voluntary approach to promoting business respect for human rights and the environment has proven insufficient.
Over 100 organisations and networks have joined civil society calls for the European Commission to develop corporate accountability legislation requiring companies to respect human rights and the environment in their global value chains and operations.
Civil society organisations and networks from Europe and other regions stressed their demands for binding rules on corporate respect for human rights and the environment on the day the Finnish Presidency held its “Conference on Business and Human Rights: towards a common agenda for action” where representatives of the EU institutions, Member States, civil society and companies discussed how the European Union can effectively implement business respect for human rights.
To read the outcome paper, an Agenda for Action on Business and Human Rights, resulting from the Business and Human Rights meeting, click here.
The civil society statement makes it clear that current EU policy and legislation fails to adequately address the pressing challenges linked to human rights and environmental impacts of corporate global operations.
The absence of cross-sectoral rules in the EU requiring companies to identify and address those impacts prevents companies from being held legally accountable when they neglect their responsibilities.
Moreover, it makes it impossible for victims of corporate malpractice to seek remedy in courts.
The reliance on a voluntary approach to promote business respect for human rights and the environment has proven insufficient and does not prevent violations of human rights and environmental damages.
The new European Commission should thus take swift action and present a legislative proposal that establishes a mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence framework for business and that provides access to remedy for victims of corporate abuse.
To read their full statement, click here.
The signatory organisations and networks are:
11.11.11, Belgium
Action Aid International
ActionAid France
African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA)
Aitec
Amis de la Terre / Friends of the Earth France
Amnesty International
Anti-Slavery International
Attac France
Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AKA)
Banana Link
Bangladesh Center for Workers’ Solidarity (BCWS)
Bangladesh Revolutionary Garment Workers Federation (BRGWF)
Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers’ Federation (BGIWF)
Bischöfliches Hilfswerk MISEREOR
Both ENDS
Bread for All
Brot für die Welt
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
CCFD-Terre Solidaire
Citizen Power Initiatives for China
CIDSE
Clean Clothes Campaign
Client Earth
Collectif Ethique sur l’étiquette
Comité Pauvreté et Politique
Comité pour l’abolition des dettes illégitimes (CADTM)
Commerce Équitable France
Corporate Accountability Network Germany (CorA)
CORE
Diakonia
DKA Austria
Ecologistas en Acción
Entraide et Fraternité (Belgium)
European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ)
European Environmental Bureau
European Federation of Building & Woodworkers (EFBWW)
European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)
European Public Service Union (EPSU)
European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE)
European Trade Union Confederation
European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF)
Fair Trade Advocacy Office
FairFin
Fairtrade Finland
Fairtrade Germany
Fairtrade International
FERN
Forest Peoples Programme
France Amérique Latine (FAL)
Frank Bold
Freedom Fund
Freedom United
Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND)
Friends of the Earth Sweden
Front Line Defenders
Germanwatch
GLAN | Global Legal Action Network
Global Aktion
Global Witness
Human Rights International Corner (HRIC)
industriAll
INKOTA-netzwerk
International Dalit Solidarity Network
International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN)
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
La campaña No a los Tratados de Comercio e Inversión
Latinamerikagrupperna
Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH)
MANI TESE
Max Havelaar France
Max Havelaar Netherlands
National Garments Workers Federation (NGWF)
NaZemi
NeSoVe – Netzwerk Soziale Verantwortung
Notre affaire à tous
Observatorio RSC
Oxfam
PMU
Policies for Equitable Access to Health (PEAH)
Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business (PIHRB)
PowerShift
Rainforest Alliance
ReAct
Réseau des Organisations de la Société Civile pour le Developpement du Tonkpi (ROSCIDET)
Rethinking Value Chains collective
Rights and Accountability Network (RAID)
Robin Wood
ShareAction
Sherpa
Stop the traffik
Südwind
SÜDWIND e.V., Germany
Terre des Hommes France
The Hunger Project – Germany
Traidcraft Exchange
Trócaire
UNIEuropa
Union Sindical Obrera (USO)
UNISON
VOICE Network
Weltladen-Dachverband e.V
Women´s International League for Peace and Freedom Netherlands
World Economy, Ecology & Development e.V. (WEED)
World Fair Trade Organization – Europe (WFTO-Europe)
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)