© Uwe Hiksch Companies must take responsibility! We are convinced that respect for human rights in a globalised economy needs binding rules. Hence, we require distinct laws that hold companies accountable for the impact of their actions on people and the environment and oblige them to respect human rights as well as international social and environmental standards. Current shortcomings: in case of human rights violations by global corporations, the affected workers mostly do not take any action in their home countries as they see no benefit. In most cases workers do not receive compensation. Also, international investors have the right to sue if they see their profits endangered - for example due to environmental or social regulations. CorA - Network for Corporate Responsibility More than 50 human rights organisations, trade unions, church and developmental organisations, consumer and environmental associations and other organisations with social and socio-political objectives collaborate in the CorA network. We committ to corporate responsibility and the common good. Pursuing these goals, we use a variety of instruments and approaches. In Germany, manufacturers have so far relied on voluntary measures; there is (still) no legal obligation to comply with social and environmental standards. That is why most companies do not produce in a socially responsible manner. The UN, the OECD and the EU are now clearly recommending human rights due diligence obligations of companies. States have the responsibility to transform these recommendations into national laws. Our goals The Corporate Accountability Network (CorA) consists of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working together to ensure that companies are held accountable for their actions – even in distant production countries. That is what we want to achieve: Accountability and publication requirements of companies on human rights, environmental and social standards Public contracts that are awarded according to social-ecological criteria Corporate responsibility embedded in international economic agreements and in business development Fair company taxation for the benefit of the society Effective sanctions and liability rules for companies Strengthened product responsibility and promoted sustainable consumption and production patterns More information: www.cora-netz.de/ueber-uns Downloads "Brand in der Tazreen Fabrik - Ein Beispiel für das Versagen freiwilliger Maßnahmen " Gisela Burckhardt, FEMNET e.V. verdeutlichen in diesem kompakten Fact-Sheet, welche Maßnahmen die Bundesregierung zur Umsetzung der UN-Leitpinzipien für Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte unternehmen müsste, damit in der Textilbranche keine so gravierenden Menschenrechtsverletzungen mehr stattfinden. Es gibt weitere Steckbriefe zu anderen Unternehmenszweigen, die den Handlungsbedarf und Umsetzungsschritte darstellen, zu finden auf der CorA Webseite. Download des Fact-Sheets (PDF-Datei) back
