German government proposes law to hold businesses liable for human rights negligence

The German development ministry proposed a legal framework that provides mandatory human rights due diligence for German companies. The initiative was welcomed by CoRa, a network for corporate accountability with more than 60 development, human rights, environmental, consumer organisations and trade unions. According to CoRA, human rights diligence cannot be protected on a voluntary basis. Businesses should mandatorily take measures to prevent activities that provoke human rights violations. Liability and appropriate sanctions are key elements to enforce human rights in this context. In addition, companies should embrace the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, and report on their risk analyses, measures of mitigation and remedies.