"Over 140’000 signatures for the Swiss Responsible Business Initiative"

Less than a year after its launch, the Swiss Responsible Business Initiative has gathered the required number of signatures. This significant step paves the way for the initiative to be taken up by the Swiss government and shows that a large number of Swiss citizens want multinational corporations to respect human rights and the environment abroad...The constitutional amendment proposed by the initiative is inspired by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, unanimously adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2011. It compels Swiss-based multinational companies to undertake human rights and environmental due diligence in all their business activities abroad. If a corporation does not fulfil its mandatory due diligence, it may be held to account for abuses committed abroad by entities under its control...