Corporations based in Switzerland repeatedly violate human rights and harm the environment. Numerous such cases have also become public in our partner countries in recent years: In Nigeria, the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim endangers people through leaking cement dust. In India, Syngenta sells life-threatening pesticides that have long been banned in our country. And Glencore is poisoning rivers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and driving indigenous women farmers in Peru off their ancestral land. The Corporate Responsibility Initiative aims to stop such business practices.
Corporations to be held liable for damages
The initiative calls for globally applicable rules, which are actually a matter of course in the globalized economy: Corporations should be held liable for the damage they cause. Affected parties should therefore be given the opportunity to sue for damages in Switzerland. They must prove that the company is responsible for the damage. If the Swiss corporate headquarters has taken appropriate steps to prevent the damage, the lawsuit will be dismissed. Compliance with human rights and recognized environmental standards is in line with the international consensus: in many other countries, what the initiative demands for Switzerland has long been a fact.
The church stands behind the initiative
With the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland EKS, the Swiss Bishops' Conference, the Evangelical Alliance, and countless parishes and church organizations such as Mission 21, the church has taken a broad front behind the initiative. This is very understandable, because the Corporate Responsibility Initiative is based on central concerns of the biblical message and the Christian faith: justice, love of neighbor and the integrity of creation.
Broad support
In addition to over 130 organizations from all sectors of civil society, the "Business Committee for Responsible Business" and the "Civic Committee for Corporate Responsibility" also support the initiative. At the local level, volunteers throughout Switzerland have founded over 450 local committees to champion the cause in their communities. For Mission 21, the Corporate Responsibility Initiative is an important step towards a fairer world. We see again and again in our partner countries how much people suffer when no one is watching that human rights and environmental protection are respected. It is important that we work together and at all levels of society to combat such abuses - in the area of development cooperation as well as politically. That is why we also recommend a Yes to the initiative.
Documentary film "The Group Report
