abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

30 Sep 2019

Author:
Jessica Davies Plüss, Swissinfo.ch

Swiss upper house debate on proposed human rights due diligence legislation postponed

"Why delaying debate on responsible business isn’t winning any fans", 27 Sep 2019

The long-anticipated debate in the Swiss Senate on the counterproposal to hold multinationals accountable for actions abroad was postponed indefinitely, and most certainly until after parliamentary elections on October 20.  

Senators called for more time to consider the facts and alternatives, but campaigners called the delay tactic a move in favour of big companies. 

If the Senate had agreed on a solid compromise, campaigners may have been willing to pull the initiative altogether. Florian Wettstein, director of the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St. Gallen and member of the initiative committee, [said] that using delay tactics to undermine the initiative may ultimately backfire on lawmakers.   

“We have seen an impressive new wave of support for the initiative in recent days partly as a direct response to these tactics”...  

Swiss economic lobby groups have already been called out for misunderstanding the role of regulation. And as Wettstein outlined.., the country runs the risk of falling behind as more countries [...] push ahead with laws on human rights due diligence.

Some companies have already come out in support of the initiative, but it seems that a vote remains a ways off...

Timeline

Privacy information

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies. You can set your privacy choices below. Changes will take effect immediately.

For more information on our use of web storage, please refer to our Data Usage and Cookies Policy

Strictly necessary storage

ON
OFF

Necessary storage enables core site functionality. This site cannot function without it, so it can only be disabled by changing settings in your browser.

Analytics cookie

ON
OFF

When you access our website we use Google Analytics to collect information on your visit. Accepting this cookie will allow us to understand more details about your journey, and improve how we surface information. All analytics information is anonymous and we do not use it to identify you. Google provides a Google Analytics opt-out add on for all popular browsers.

Promotional cookies

ON
OFF

We share news and updates on business and human rights through third party platforms, including social media and search engines. These cookies help us to understand the performance of these promotions.

Your privacy choices for this site

This site uses cookies and other web storage technologies to enhance your experience beyond necessary core functionality.