Letter to Barilla regarding its ongoing business activities in Russia
...We request an urgent dialogue regarding potential inconsistencies between ...Barilla’s...obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and the company’s ongoing business operations and relationships in Russia that may contribute to, or be linked with, human rights harms...
We seek to understand the status of Barilla’s exposure to Russia and how Barilla has conducted and continues to conduct heightened human rights due diligence, and how the findings of such a process have resulted in these continued business activities and relationships. As noted by the UNGPs:
…the more severe the abuse, the more quickly the enterprise will need to see change before it takes a decision on whether it should end the relationship. In any case, for as long as the abuse continues and the enterprise remains in the relationship, it should be able to demonstrate its own ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact and be prepared to accept any consequences – reputational, financial or legal – of the continuing connection...