Business & Human Rights

Activists Criticize Lack of Penalties in Australian Labor Law

December 18, 2018

The Thomson Reuters Foundation reports that, in November, the Australian Parliament adopted a law requiring large companies and public bodies to disclose annually the steps they are taking to remove forced labor from their global supply chains, eliciting critiques from activists focusing on the lack of financial penalties for non-complying companies.
Switzerland Publishes BHR Guidance for Commodity Sector

December 17, 2018

Swissinfo reports that the Swiss government has published guidance for companies operating in the commodity sector on how to comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR), including by setting up a system of BHR “due diligence” in their operations and global supply chains.
NGOs Seek Mandatory Baseline for EU “Sustainability” Reporting

December 17, 2018

A coalition of nongovernmental organizations recently produced a statement calling on the European Commission (EC) to amend EU rules on corporate non-financial reporting to create a mandatory, EU-wide baseline of reporting requirements on “sustainability” issues in line with global standards.
US Reports on Efforts to Advance the BHR Agenda

December 17, 2018

The US State Department has produced a document indicating US efforts to advance the global business and human rights (BHR) agenda in 2018, pointing to policies including the advancement of labor rights and a contribution to the human rights strategy of the winning US-Canada-Mexico 2026 World Cup bid.
Activists Question Effectiveness of Draft BHR Treaty

December 17, 2018

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) consultant Marta Piazza writes that activists are critiquing the “Zero Draft” of a binding UN treaty on business and human rights (BHR) recently produced by a UN working group for its largely indirect effect on companies and minimal action on corporate dispute settlement systems under existing trade agreements.