Swiss Federal Council publishes message on Responsible Business Initiative
On 15. September 2017, the Federal Council issued its official message on the Swiss Responsible Business Initiative. The message recognizes that human rights violations committed by Swiss multinationals are of serious concern. Nevertheless, it maintains its approach of relying solely on voluntary measures while hoping that unscrupulous companies will chose to comply with human rights standards in the future... The initiators welcome the fact that the Federal Council [...] correctly interpreted the text of the initiative... Dick Marty, co-chair of the initiative’s committee, has reacted to the Federal Council’s stubbornness: “If we want multinationals to operate decently, abuses must be followed by consequences. Companies must be accountable for human rights violations and environmental damage. This is also in the interest of responsible companies as well as for Switzerland’s reputation abroad.”