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Article

5 Jul 2013

Author:
Deutsche Welle (Germany)

NGOS: Berlin Lags On Business And Human Rights [Germany]

[Interview with Cornelia Heydenreich of Germanwatch.] Germanwatch and other human rights organizations are criticizing the German government because we think the UN guiding principles are the most important instrument on business and human rights on an international level. And we think it's important to implement these instruments in a good way, and so far we are quite behind in Germany...[V]ery often the government says voluntary initiatives by companies are enough. But we don't think this is enough...[In the] Netherlands...[t]here was a really broad stakeholder process to develop an action plan of what needs to be done on a national level to implement the UN guiding principles...There are issues like looking at the investment and trade agreement, the German raw material partnership, foreign trade promotion, public procurement. Also human rights - to create legal means for people affected by company misbehavior...So far we don't have a kick-off for an action plan, and we don't expect the current government will start it. We do indeed expect the new government to take this up.