Throughout history, France has often been on the frontlines of leading change. This time it is about state regulation of transnational business activity. It was only in March 2017 when France's Corporate Duty of Vigilance Law entered into force. Over two years later, mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence are evolving from a utopia to an achievable goal elsewhere too. Last... Continue Reading
We still have a very limited understanding of the impacts businesses have on human rights worldwide. It has been just over a month since the Brumadinho dam, operated by the Brazilian minerals form Vale, collapsed, killing at least 171 people, with a further 141 still missing. In the wake of what appears to be yet another disaster heavily abetted by the failures of business, news from the... Continue Reading
Contrary to what its unflattering title suggests, this "zero draft" marks a key milestone in the effort to bring about a UN treaty on business and human rights. Squeezing a “zero draft” out of nearly four years of intense negotiations may seem like a meager, if not slightly ironic, achievement. Yet there was more reason to see the glass as half-full than half-empty when, on July 19, 2018,... Continue Reading
Most companies are still coming to grips with what their corporate responsibilities mean in practice when it comes to human rights. As November drew to a close, the Palais des Nations, the UN headquarters in Geneva, prepared to shake off the seasonal gloom by welcoming once again the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights. Since its establishment in 2012, the forum has been a bubbling platform... Continue Reading
