April 2013 | Cora & Forum Menschenrechte
Position Paper on Business and Human Rights – Expectations of a German Action Plan
Executive Summary of the Position Paper
In the course of globalisation, the power and influence wielded by transnational enterprises has grown continuously. On the one hand their access to markets and the protection of their investments have been increased considerably by international agreements, and secured by arbitration courts. On the other hand, there is a lack of corresponding instruments that would oblige these same enterprises to fulfil human rights internationally, and would provide those affected by human rights abuses with access to courts. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which were adopted unanimously by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, are designed to close such regulatory gaps in the field of human rights.
The civil society organisations subscribing to this position paper expect the German Government and the German Bundestag to elaborate, on the basis of these UN Guiding Principles and other relevant documents and with the active participation of civil society, an Action Plan for Business and Human Rights, and to swiftly implement this within the next legislative period. [...]
