"Statement in Support of Human Rights Defenders", Jun 2019

amfori acknowledges the essential role civil society organizations, including human rights defenders, play in ensuring the protection of workers' rights. We believe that the protection of civic freedoms, including the right to freedom of speech, should be preserved and recognised by all organisations, in particular those working to protect human rights and improve labour conditions. To this end, human rights defenders should be able to speak freely, and without fear of retaliation or reprisal. Specifically, we call on all governmental authorities to guarantee the respect of rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and to protect all human rights defenders. As the leading global business association for open and sustainable trade we support companies to improve working conditions in factories and farms along their supply chains... Monitoring and detecting social issues in the supply chain is of...only part of the due diligence process, but it is also a crucial stage where human rights defenders...play a fundamental role. Undermining their work equals to putting due diligence at risk. amfori’s approach in addressing alleged rights  violations increasingly favours, where possible, constructive cooperation, careful investigation, empowerment and engagement of all relevant stakeholders rather than litigation...