On 7 October 2025, experts, trade unionists and activists from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Serbia, Mexico and Germany met in Berlin to discuss the future of corporate due diligence at the international conference ‘Due Diligence and Labour Rights – Quo Vadis?’. Organized by FEMNET e.V. together with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the CorA network and the umbrella association of critical shareholders, the focus was on how the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and the European CSDDD can actually contribute to improvements for workers along global supply chains.
Between Achievement and Attenuation
The participants agreed: Both the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) and the European directive CSDDD remain important advances for which many activists and organisations have fought for years. Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/human-rights-due-diligence/supply-chain-laws-global-solidarity-instead-of-due-diligence-according-to-checklists/
International conference on 7 October 2025 in Berlin
The conference brings together experts, policymakers, trade union representatives, and civil society actors from Germany, Europe, and the Global South to discuss the current state and future of human rights due diligence. Over the course of the day, we will explore the implementation and impact of Germany’s Supply Chain Act and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), highlight the crucial role of trade unions, and exchange perspectives on challenges and best practices along global supply chains.
The conference language is English. Unless otherwise stated in the agenda, interpretation into German will be provided throughout the conference.Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/human-rights-due-diligence/due-diligence-and-labor-rights-implementation-expectations-and-perspectives-along-the-supply-chain/
On 8 November 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced she would introduce a proposal to amend three key pillars of the European Green Deal through an Omnibus law: the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Taxonomy Regulation.
As members of civil society, human rights and environmental defenders, trade unions and climate activists, we call on the European Commission to actively protect these EU corporate accountability laws, reaffirm the official timeline for their transposition and implementation, and be fully transparent about the Omnibus process.
The European Union must show leadership in the protection of human rights, environment and climate, and prevent further setbacks to corporate accountability. Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/human-rights-due-diligence/omnibus-proposal-will-create-costly-confusion-and-lower-protection-for-people-and-the-planet/
Update from 19.01.2024: Volkswagen’s answers are now also published here under the respective questions.
Dear Madam or Sir,
We, the undersigned organizations, note the publication of the ESG audit results of the SAIC Volkswagen plant undertaken by Löning- Human Rights & Responsible Business GmbH. In our letter dated July 11, 2023, we expressed our extensive concerns about the credibility of an audit in the Uyghur Region.
Following the publication of the audit findings, staff from Löning posted a statement on LinkedIn, distancing themselves from the audit, claiming “no other team member from Löning participated in, supported or backed this project.” Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/volkswagen-en/questions-to-volkswagen-following-publication-of-audit-results/
Credible and independent audit not possible in the Uyghur region
Audit seems to ignore repressive political context
Volkswagen must take effective and preventive measures against forced labour risks in the entire supply chain
On December 5, 2023, Volkswagen AG published the results of its long-awaited audit of the VW SAIC plant in Urumchi, the capital of the Uyghur region of Xinjiang/East Turkistan. The audit was to be carried out by the consultancy firm of the former Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights, Markus Löning (Loening- Human Rights & Responsible Business GmbH), which commissioned a law firm in Shenzhen to carry out the audit. Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/volkswagen-en/forced-labour-risks-at-volkswagen-audit-ignores-repressive-environment-in-china/
Volkswagen has announced that it will have the Volkswagen SAIC plant in Urumchi, China, audited. According to media reports, chief executive officer Oliver Blume announced during a conference call with investors on June 21, 2023 that Volkswagen plans “a transparent, independent external audit to provide full transparency to the public”[1].
In general, we welcome that Volkswagen takes the risk of potential human rights violations at the Volkswagen SAIC plant seriously. However, there is serious evidence of forced labor in relation to Volkswagen’s supply chains. In December 2022, Sheffield Hallam University published a comprehensive report that extensively documented the widespread use of Uyghur forced labor in automotive supply chains, including Volkswagen suppliers[2]. Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/volkswagen-en/open-letter-to-volkswagen-with-questions-about-the-announced-audit-of-the-volkswagen-saic-plant-in-urumchi-china/
Statement on Nornickel’s IRMA self-assessment by a coalition of Indigenous Rights leaders and non-governmental organizations
According to Nornickel’s own claims, the self-assessment found significant shortcomings with respect to environmental and social standards, preventing a desirable, higher rating within the IRMA standard
An international coalition of Indigenous Peoples, environmental and human rights organizations urges Nornickel to publish the results of its self-assessment and to clearly identify corrective actions
Russian mining company Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) announced in March 2023 that the company had completed a self-assessment against the IRMA (Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance) Standard. The self-assessment is an initial, necessary step to begin the assessment process under the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance.Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/human-rights-due-diligence/self-assessment-demonstrates-that-nornickel-does-not-comply-with-international-social-and-environmental-standards/
The mining industry is under greater pressure to demonstrate that it can extract raw materials in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) places particular emphasis on the participation of mining-affected communities and respect for the rights of indigenous communities. Is this just another fig leaf for the industry to continue as before, or are there real chances to be able to implement the Right To Say No – not only for indigenous people?
However, one challenge is that communities can also articulate and implement their own alternatives. Weiterlesen
Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/human-rights-due-diligence/online-event-responsible-mining-and-the-right-to-say-no/
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