Ranking finds big companies fail to manage human rights risks
Despite significant progress in the last two decades, there are still 218 million children between 5 and 17 years in employment globally.
Keystone
Most big companies fail to demonstrate respect for human rights, according to an analysis of more than 100 companies released on Monday. Nestlé and Glencore, the two Swiss companies in the ranking, fall in the middle of the pack.
This content was published on
3 minutes
swissinfo.ch/jdp
العربية
ar
الشركات الكبرى لم تنجح بعدُ في احترام مقتضيات حقوق الإنسان
The ranking, developed by Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRBExternal link), a UK-based organisation backed by several investors and governments including the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, showed major lapses in the management of human rights risks including child labour and forced labour.
Almost two-thirds of firms scored less than 30%, with an overall average of 27%. This represents an improvement on 2017, when the average score was 18%, but the report states that the results are still “deeply concerning” and raise questions about how serious companies are about “avoiding harm to people in their pursuit of profits”.
More than 40% of the companies scored no points whatsoever on human rights due diligence – the practice of identifying and addressing the risk of abuses.
Human rights due diligence has been one of the expectations put forward in the Responsible Business Initiative currently being debated in the Swiss parliament. More governments including France and the Netherlands are mandating human rights due diligence in part out of skepticism about the impact of voluntary initiatives to push companies to change practices.
Best and worst performers
Vevey-based Nestlé came in fifth best out of 38 agriculture companies while the other Swiss-based company on the ranking, commodity giant Glencore, was ranked 12th out of 41 firms. The latter has been at the centre of several corruption scandals recently, including accusations (by Public Eye and Global Witness) of involvement in the Brazil Car Wash corruption scandal.
Overall, sportswear company Adidas came out on top with 87% followed by two of the largest mining companies, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. Liquor maker Kweichow Moutai and fast fashion brand Heilan Home, both Chinese companies, came in last. Starbucks, Prada and Hermes were also among some of the worst ranked companies.
The ranking assessed 101 of the largest apparel, agricultural and extraction firms using public information on practices and policies on issues such as transparency, forced labour and the living wage. It used 100 indicators based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as additional industry-specific standards.
The authors note that poor performance does not necessarily mean that bad practices are present or there is no company action on the issue, but could be that insufficient information is available.
More
More
Responsible Business debate could cause ripple effects globally
This content was published on
Swiss parliament decides this week on an initiative to hold companies accountable for their impacts on human rights and the environment.
This content was published on
“Wait and see" seems to be the position adopted by large Swiss companies in the face of US President Donald Trump's trade policy.
Eurostar plans direct link between London and Geneva
This content was published on
The Eurostar railway company wants to offer a direct connection between Switzerland and Great Britain for the first time in the coming years.
Lucy Liu to receive career award at Locarno Film Festival
This content was published on
The Locarno78 Career Achievement Award goes to American actress Lucy Liu. The award will be presented to her on Thursday 14 August on the Piazza Grande.
Swiss foreign minister travels to Israel and Palestinian territories
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is travelling to the Middle East on Tuesday and Wednesday for official visits to the Palestinian and Israeli authorities.
This content was published on
This year's Zurich city lake crossing is planned for 2 July. Should the weather not play ball or the water be too cold, two alternative dates are planned.
June 14 women’s strike: no equality without pay rises for women
This content was published on
Although pay inequality persists, large companies are ignoring the basic provisions of the Equality Act, Swiss trade union Unia criticised on Tuesday.
Israeli army has committed crimes against humanity, say UN investigators
This content was published on
The Israeli army has committed crimes against humanity of extermination by targeting civilian refugees in schools and religious sites, say UN investigators.
Swiss finance directors against abolishing ‘marriage penalty’
This content was published on
A large majority of cantonal finance directors reject both the popular initiative in favour of individual taxation and the counter-proposal. They favour joint taxation of spouses.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss pension funds feel society’s pull
This content was published on
Pressures have mounted on traditionally conservative Swiss pension funds to lend leverage to the responsible business agenda.
LafargeHolcim accused of abandoning child labour victims
This content was published on
The world’s largest cement maker has been criticised by Swiss non-governmental groups for failing to resolve alleged child labour issues in Uganda.
US appeals court revives Nestlé child slavery lawsuit
This content was published on
A US federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit by a group of former child slaves accusing the US unit of Swiss company Nestlé.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.