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.
Program
09:30–10:00 | Arrival & Coffee
10:00–10:10 | Welcome & Opening (Sina Marx, Tilman Massa)
- Charlotte Neuhäuser, MP Die Linke
- Gisela Burckhardt, FEMNET
- Nadja Charaby, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
- Heike Drillisch, Network for Corporate Accountability (CorA)
10:10–10:45 |Keynote
- Zehra Khan, Home-Based Women Worker’s Federation (HBWWF) Pakistan
10:45–11:00 | Coffee Break
11:00–12:30 | Panel 1:
CSDDD & Germany’s Supply Chain Act – Progress, Pitfalls and Political Demands
This panel will explore the status of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and Germany’s Supply Chain Act (LkSG), with a focus on implementation, impact, and political implications. Experts from various sectors will discuss compliance challenges, legal developments, and enforcement mechanisms, with perspectives from the Global South on ground realities.
Speakers:
- Eduardo Villarreal Cantú, ProDESC Mexico
- Bojana Tamindžija, Center for Politics of Emancipation (CPE) Serbia
- Julia Thimm, Tchibo
- Juliane Bing, Germanwatch
Host: Caspar Dohmen, journalist
12:30–13:30 | Lunch Break
13:30–15:00 | Panel 2:
Power and Participation – The Role of Trade Unions in Human Rights Due Diligence
This panel highlights the critical role trade unions play in shaping and enforcing human rights due diligence. Discussions will cover real-world experiences, successes, structural barriers, and the need for worker-driven approaches in both the Global North and South.
Speakers:
- Nasir Mansoor, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) Pakistan
- Didit Saleh, Trade Union Rights Centre (TURC) Indonesia
- Ilham el Ommali, INPUT Consulting in cooperation with ver.di
Host: Veronique Helwing-Hentschel, Osnabrück University
15:00–15:30 | Coffee Break
15:30–17:00 | Panel 3:
Putting the German Supply Chain Act into Practice – Challenges and Best Practices
A discussion on the practical implementation of the German Supply Chain Act, focusing on lessons learned, persistent challenges, and examples from the Global South. Topics include risk analysis, grievance mechanisms, and effective engagement with affected communities.
Speakers:
- Amirul Haque Amin, National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) Bangladesh
- Nasir Mansoor, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) Pakistan
- Annabell Brüggemann, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)
- Steffen Vogel, Oxfam
Host: Robert Grabosch, lawyer
17:00–18:30 | Parallel Sessions
a. Union Busting and Due Diligence: When Workers’ Voices Are Silenced
This session explores how anti-union practices hinder due diligence efforts across supply chains. Case studies from multiple countries will illustrate resistance strategies and call for structural change.
Speakers:
- Pius Ginting, Action for Ecology and People Emancipation (AEER) Indonesia
- Zehra Khan, Home-Based Women Worker’s Federation (HBWWF) Pakistan
- Janina Hirth, transnationals information exchange (tie)
Host: Florian Wilde, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
b. How Effective Are Voluntary Measures in Human Rights Due Diligence?
(No German translation)
A critical review of voluntary human rights due diligence initiatives, their effectiveness, and limitations. Discussions will address whether such approaches can substitute binding regulation or simply act as window dressing.
Speakers:
- Gokhularaj Ramchandar, Cividep India
- Ingrid Elbertse, Fair Wear Foundation
- Berndt Hinzmann, INKOTA
- Gina Burgard, Partnership for Sustainable Textiles
Host: Tilman Massa, Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany
18:30–18:45 | Break
18:45 | Conclusion
19:00 | Informal Get-Together & Dinner
Speakers and Partners
Amirul Haque Amin
President and Co-Founder, National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF), Bangladesh
Amirul Haque Amin is president and co-founder of NGWF, the largest garment workers’ trade union in Bangladesh. For more than 40 years he has advocated for workers’ rights, organizing for better wages, safe workplaces, and union representation. He played a key role in founding NGWF in 1984 and continues to be a leading voice for labor justice nationally and internationally.
Juliane Bing
Senior Policy Advisor for Corporate Accountability, Germanwatch
Juliane Bing focuses on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation, in particular the German Supply Chain Act and the EU CSDDD. She has five years of experience in this field, with a strong emphasis on strengthening the voices of rightsholders in due diligence processes.
Annabell Brüggemann
Senior Legal Advisor, Business and Human Rights Program, ECCHR
Annabell Brüggemann is Senior Legal Advisor at ECCHR, where she works on corporate accountability and human rights. She studied law in Frankfurt and Berlin and has worked in criminal and migration law, parliamentary administration, and academia. She joined ECCHR after completing her legal clerkship and gaining extensive experience in law and human rights practice.
Gina Burgard
Head of the Textiles Partnership Secretariat
Gina Burgard heads the Textiles Partnership Secretariat. Previously, she managed a GIZ project on sustainability in the cotton and textile sector in Uzbekistan and worked in the private sector, where she was responsible for compliance with social and environmental standards in textile supply chains.
Gisela Burckhardt
Founder and Chairwoman, FEMNET
Gisela Burckhardt is founder and chair of FEMNET and a long-standing advocate for women’s rights and fair working conditions in the global garment industry. With decades of international experience as a development consultant and trainer, she also writes and publishes on global labor justice and gender equality. FEMNET is a key member of the Clean Clothes Campaign.
Nadja Charaby
Unit Head, International Politics and North America, Asia, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
Nadja Charaby has worked for the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung since 2010 and has headed the International Policy and North America Department since 2019, and the Asia Department since 2024. She previously led the foundation’s office in Hanoi and held positions on international climate and Asia policy. She studied Southeast Asian Studies, Library Science, and Sociology in Berlin.
Ingrid Elbertse
Policy and Advocacy Officer, Fair Wear Foundation
Ingrid Elbertse represents Fair Wear in the German-speaking region and works on advocacy at EU level. With a background in textile design and international law, she has professional experience in NGOs as well as the private sector, bridging expertise in sustainable fashion and human rights policy.
Ilham el Ommali
Legal Advisor and Research Associate, INPUT Consulting / ver.di
Ilham el Ommali specializes in labor and co-determination law. As a Research Associate at INPUT Consulting in cooperation with ver.di, she focuses on strengthening workers’ participation rights and advancing democratic workplace structures in Germany.
Pius Ginting
Coordinator, AEER, Indonesia
Pius Ginting has over 15 years of experience addressing mining, energy, and environmental issues in Indonesia. With a background in engineering and law, he has worked as a researcher, campaigner, and analyst, advocating for sustainability and environmental justice at both local and international levels.
Berndt Hinzmann
Business and Human Rights Advisor, INKOTA
Berndt Hinzmann has worked for over 25 years at INKOTA on campaigns and education, including with the Clean Clothes Campaign. He represents civil society in the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles. His focus areas include living wages, sustainable supply chains, and consumer awareness, with experience in Cambodia and India.
Janina Hirth
Research Assistant, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences
Janina Hirth is a coordinator at the tie network, a global grassroots network of workers and unionists active in workplaces and communities. She works on the topics of health and digitalization in the workplace and is part of the ExChains network, that coordinates mutual solidarity and strategy building along the value chain of retail and the textile and clothing industry.
Zehra Khan
General Secretary, Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), Pakistan
Zehra Khan leads HBWWF, the first registered union of home-based workers in South Asia. She also serves on several labor boards and committees in Sindh and co-chairs IndustriALL Global Union’s textile and garment sector. She advocates for fair wages, social security, gender equality, and recognition of informal labor.
Nasir Mansoor
Deputy General Secretary, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Pakistan
Nasir Mansoor organizes workers across textiles, garments, and the informal economy as part of NTUF. He campaigns for living wages, workplace safety, and freedom of association, and collaborates with national and international partners to strengthen labor protections in Pakistan and beyond.
Charlotte Neuhäuser
Member of Parliament, Die Linke, German Bundestag
Charlotte Neuhäuser is a full member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development and a deputy member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. She is spokesperson for Global Justice for the parliamentary group Die Linke.
Gokhularaj Ramchandar
Project Coordinator, Cividep India
Gokhularaj Ramchandar coordinates research, monitoring, and advocacy on labor rights in the electronics sector. Based in South India, he also oversees education and engagement programs for workers in Special Economic Zones. His recent research focuses on health insurance schemes for garment workers.
Didit Saleh
Program Coordinator, Trade Union Rights Centre (TURC), Indonesia
Didit Saleh coordinates the Data Academy Program at TURC. He has worked with several organizations, including INSISTIVE, YAPPIKA-ActionAid, and the Indonesian Presidential Advisory Council. As Deputy Program Director at TURC, he conducts research on labor rights and social protection and advocates for fair working conditions in the industry.
Bojana Tamindžija
Labour Rights Program Coordinator, Center for Politics of Emancipation (CPE), Serbia
Bojana Tamindžija is a researcher and program coordinator at CPE as well as the national coordinator for Clean Clothes Campaign Serbia. Her work focuses on labor rights in global supply chains, particularly exploitation, brand accountability, and systemic change to improve workers’ rights.
Julia Thimm
International Human Rights Officer, Tchibo
Julia Thimm has led Tchibo’s Human Rights Strategy for non-food supply chains for more than a decade. She played a central role in establishing the Bangladesh Accord, ACT, and a Global Framework Agreement with IndustriALL Global Union. She previously worked for the Clean Clothes Campaign Germany and holds degrees from SOAS and the University of Erfurt.
Steffen Vogel
Policy Advisor for Human Rights in Supply Chains, Oxfam Germany
Steffen Vogel focuses on improving legislation, transparency, and accountability to secure fair working conditions. His work covers living wages, agricultural supply chains, and advocacy around the German and EU supply chain laws.
Eduardo Villarreal Cantú
Research, Strategy, and Advocacy Coordinator, ProDESC, Mexico
Eduardo Villarreal Cantú coordinates research and advocacy at ProDESC, defending economic, social, and cultural rights. He also teaches at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO). With a PhD in Public Policy, he has advised the Mexican Congress, international organizations, and academic institutions on human rights and governance.
Moderators
Caspar Dohmen
Economic journalist, author, and lecturer
Caspar Dohmen specializes in topics at the intersection of economics, social justice, and sustainability, with a focus on global supply chains, labor rights, and the social dimensions of economic transformation.
He is the editorial director of ESG.Table, a publication by Table.Media that covers sustainable economic transformation. He contributes regularly to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Deutschlandfunk, SWR, and WDR, producing in-depth reports, radio features, and analyses. His work has earned several awards, including the Willy Bleicher Prize for a radio feature on trade unionists.
Florian Wilde
Senior Fellow for International Trade Union Work at the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (RLS)
Florian Wilde is a historian and political activist specializing in labor history and trade union politics. He serves as a Senior Fellow for International Trade Union Work at the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (RLS), where he focuses on the intersection of labor movements, social justice, and political activism. Dr. Wilde is a member of the Historical Commission of the German political party Die Linke and has authored several publications on labor history and political movements.
Robert Grabosch
Lawyer, mediator, and expert in corporate sustainability and human rights
Robert Grabosch is a German lawyer and mediator, specializing in the intersection of corporate law, human rights, and sustainability. Since 2008, he has advised civil society organisations, policymakers, corporations, and business associations on the legal implications of business activities’ impacts on human rights. He is the editor of the first handbook on the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and has authored a multilingual summary of the 2024 EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
Veronique Helwing-Hentschel
Osnabrück University
Veronique Helwing-Hentschel is a member of the Human Geography Working Group at Osnabrück University, with a focus on economic geography. Her research focuses on global production, labour, and digitalisation. In her doctoral thesis, she explores power dynamics and labour relations in the logistics sector, a key component of global supply chains.
Sina Marx
Project Lead Human Rights Due Diligence, FEMNET
Sina Marx has worked for more than 15 years with FEMNET and other NGOs on business and human rights, including as national coordinator of the Clean Clothes Campaign Germany. She works as a consultant for NGOs and foundations as well as a lecturer and speaker specializing in human rights in Southeast Asia.
Tilman Massa
Co-Director Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany
Tilman Massa works with civil society organisations to raise issues such as climate justice and human rights due diligence at shareholder meetings of German companies, be it large automotive groups or a small arms manufacturer. This form of AGM activism, with support of both retail shareholders and affected communities, aims to denounce insufficient corporate engagement and call for significantly more effective measures to protect human rights.
Veronique Helwing-Hentschel
Osnabrück University
Veronique Helwing-Hentschel is a member of the Human Geography Working Group at Osnabrück University, with a focus on economic geography. Her research focuses on global production, labour, and digitalisation. In her doctoral thesis, she explores power dynamics and labour relations in the logistics sector, a key component of global supply chains.
