Call for EU Human Rights Due Diligence Legislation

On 4 March DPhil student Anneloes Hoff spoke on the emerging mandatory human rights due diligence legislation in Europe, organised by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights.

In recent years, several states have taken steps to enact legislation which requires companies to undertake human rights due diligence and improve human rights performance in their own operations and/or within their supply chains. This session considered the emerging call for EU human rights due diligence legislation through the lens of the French Duty of Vigilance Law and the Dutch Child Labour Due Diligence Law. Experts discussed the contents of legislation; first implementation results including ongoing proceedings against Total over alleged failure to respect the French Duty of Vigilance Law in Uganda; wider campaign towards mandatory human rights due diligence in the Netherlands; and opportunities for strengthening regulatory requirements for the EU-based companies at the European level.