Swiss corporations and companies should also comply with social standards and environmental rules abroad. This is the goal of the Corporate Responsibility Initiative. The initiators want to enshrine this requirement in law as an enforceable obligation.
The initiative is highly controversial. This is already evident in the discussion of an indirect counter-proposal in the Federal Councils, which has been ongoing for months. On June 13, the National Council again approved an indirect counter-proposal to the Corporate Responsibility Initiative by 109 votes to 69. This provides for Swiss companies to be held responsible for human rights violations and environmental damage caused by subsidiaries abroad. To this end, the law should contain due diligence obligations and liability rules.
Signal to politics
Now the ball is back in the court of the Council of States. In a first round, it had rejected a counter-proposal. Whether the Federal Parliament will ultimately be able to agree on rules is completely open. The decision of the councils will determine whether the initiative committee withdraws the initiative or whether it is put to the vote.
In church circles, support for the initiative is strong. More than 60 church congregations and over 60 organizations are sending a signal to politicians on the platform "Church for Corporate Responsibility" or "Church for KOVI" for short. Mission 21 is also a member of this platform and is committed to the goals of the initiative.
Mission 21 is committed to enabling people to live in dignity in 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As a member of the KOVI platform, Mission 21 therefore supports the concern that Swiss companies should also operate in a fair and environmentally friendly manner abroad.
Text: Christoph Rácz
