[unofficial translation of the Swedish press release, full position paper available in Swedish here.]

Various reports show that Swedish companies do not do enough to ensure that human rights are respected in their supply chains. Human rights abuses continue to be a major problem in almost all industries, including the clothing, electronics, food and travel sectors. Despite these widespread problems however, Sweden has no binding rules that require companies to carry out Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD). Such legislation would involve a continuous risk and impact assessment and action plan in order to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how the company addresses potential human rights risks.

Currently, the Government relies on voluntary commitments by companies to address human rights, while other countries across the world increasingly see a need for legislation as well as voluntary approaches. For Sweden to ensure human rights are protected, the Government needs to investigate the possibility of mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence legislation for companies. Sustainable business with respect for human rights is an important element of Sweden's overall policy for global development (PGU) and a prerequisite for achieving the global goals of the Agenda 2030.

CONCORD Sweden's Working Group for Business and Human Rights consists of 14 organizations that all support the position paper Sustainable business with respect for human rights: How do we get there?