Corporate Accountability
Governance of Mineral Supply Chains of Electronic Devices
Discussion of Mandatory and Voluntary Approaches in Regard to Coverage, Transparency and Credibility
This paper analyses the current governance framework concerning mineral supply chains of electronic devices. This is about ten years after leading IT companies began in 2007 to fund research to investigate the impact of mineral sourcing for IT devices, which established a connection between their products and human rights abuses. >> mehr
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"Regulate smartphones through Ecodesign"
Open Letter to Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission
Coolproducts, a coalition of environmental NGOs, with the support of over 30 stakeholders across Europe and beyond (including Germanwatch), urge Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, to regulate smartphones by 2021 with requirements that will make smartphones more energy efficient and more durable, repairable and recyclable. >> mehr
Report 2017: The Global Energy Sector and Human Rights (executive summary)
Putting German Business and Policy to the Test
This executive summary of the report by Germanwatch and MISEREOR is all about energy – a sector that is inextricably linked to globalisation and is associated time and time again with human rights violations. The study explores the question of whether and to what extent German business and the German Government have implemented the demands of the UN Guiding Principles to date. >> mehr
No courage to commit
Comments of German non-governmental organisations on the German government’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
As development and human rights organisations we participated intensively in the German government’s consultation process for developing the National Action Plan (NAP) for implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: in the government’s steering committee, in the altogether twelve thematic hearings and in the three plenary conferences. In this context, we expected the government to move away from the failed model of purely voluntary self-commitment and legally require German companies to discharge their human rights responsibilities in their activities and business relationships abroad. >> mehrConflictminerals: Open letter to the Dutch Presidency of the Council & the Member States of the EU
Together with 126 civil society organzations we are calling on the Council to listen not only to the European Parliament, but also to the many activists, investors, civil society, and citizens that have called for a strong and effective EU law. At a minimum, this means a regulation that covers companies that import into the EU minerals in their raw form as well as companies that import products containing these minerals. >> mehr
Supply chain responsibility has to become a topic on the next G7 summit!
Public letter by Germanwatch and 58 other civil society organisations to the countries of the Group of Seven
The 2015 G7 Summit at Schloss Elmau was ground-breaking in that G7 leaders for the first time discussed such supply chain responsibility. They pledged to promote “responsible supply chains”, and strongly supported the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The G7 leaders also stressed the need to increase transparency, the identification and prevention of human rights risks, and the strengthening of grievance mechanisms to promote better working conditions, and urged the private sector to implement human rights due diligence. These commitments were made under the leadership of Japan and Germany, as current and preceding G7 chair. >> mehr
EU Responsible Mineral Sourcing Regulation
Civil Society Response to the Council Mandate Agreed by Coreper on 17 December 2015
The devastating impacts of the trade in minerals linked to conflict and human rights abuses are well documented. The problem has not gone away. >> mehr
Fair IT: Germanwatch promotes challenge to electronic industry to protect workers properly
GoodElectronics Network and International Campaign for Responsible Technology (ICRT) demand less use of chemicals and more rights in production
Working in IT-production can entail lethal consequences: workers are often exposed to hazardous chemicals and suffer from a higher cancer risk. Therefore, Germanwatch supports a challenge presented to the electronic industry to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and to guarantee a better protection of workers and environment. >> mehr
Global Business and Human Rights
Putting Germany to the Test
Over the last few years NGOs have criticized numerous human rights violations in which German corporations were directly or indirectly involved. Blatant violations of human rights are occurring for instance in agriculture, in manufacturing and in the extractive industries. Germanwatch and MISEREOR have documented these cases in a report. >> mehr
