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Article

5 Nov 2014

Author:
John G. Ruggie, Harvard Kennedy School, former UN Special Representative on business & human rights

John Ruggie encourages Swiss Natl. Council to adopt mandatory due diligence on human rights & environment

[Letter to Federal Councilors Didier Burkhalter and Simonetta Sommaruga]

I was...very pleased to note that the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council proposed to follow up on [proposals in the report "Rapport de droit comparé"]. Indeed, I undertsand that the National Council will vote on motion 14.3671, "Mise en oeuvre du rapport de droit comparé du Conseil fédéral sur la responsabilité des entreprises en matiere de droits humains et d'environnement."...When I presented the Guiding Principles to the Human Rights Council, I said that its endorsement would not represent the end of business and human rights challenges, but would mark the end of the beginning.  By adopting motion 14.3671, the Swiss National Council would take an important step "beyond the end of the beginning" and Switzerland's leadershipm not only in developing but more importantly in implementing the UN Guiding Principles and, thereby, helping to reduce the incidence of corporate-related human rights harm.

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