Departamento encuestado: N/A
¿Su gobierno ha adoptado alguna iniciativa para reducir los impactos negativos de las empresas en los derechos humanos que usted considere particularmente exitosa? Por favor indique uno o más ejemplos al respecto.
In December 2013 the Swedish Government launched the publication ”Sustainable Business – A Platform for Swedish action” at a meeting with close to 300 representatives from the business community, trade unions, civil society organisations and other interested parties. Within the framework of this platform the Government adopted the term ”sustainable business ” (hållbart företagande) in preference to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as it wished to use a Swedish term and not an abbreviation – therefore the two terms are used synonymously.
Sustainable business according to the Government’s definition encompasses human rights, work requirements, the environment and anti-corruption. These four main areas also incorporate gender equality, diversity and business ethics – all these aspects can and often have an effect on business and human rights.
The Government´s position is that sustainable business must ultimately involve efforts by enterprises to develop long-term, sustainable business models. An enterprise committed to the above is expected to establish a clear set of values as a basis for sustainability work, and to adopt and implement a policy commitment to sustainability issues at senior management level. They are expected to have identified – and to monitor- risks along the entire supply chain and to have established where the responsibility for risks lay and where it can be developed. It is furthermore expected that they perform due diligence, an ongoing process managing risks and opportunities on the basis of the character, size and context of its operations and to act with transparency on these issues.
Link to the publication ”Sustainable Business – A Platform for Swedish action ”
¿Qué departamento o departamentos tienen una responsabilidad significativa respecto a las empresas y los derechos humanos dentro de su gobierno?
The minister responsible for these issues [development of National Action Plan on business & human rights] is the Minister of Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Mikael Damberg. Focal point in the Government Offices is the Department for International Trade Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
¿Su gobierno ha promovido nuevas iniciativas en el tema de empresas y derechos humanos, o ha fortalecido las ya existentes, desde la aprobación de los Principios Rectores de las Naciones Unidas en junio de 2011?
In the Government’s view it is essential that enterprises operating in or from Sweden act in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The enterprises should themselves develop and express their commitment at the most senior level, (board of directors or CEO) and carry out human rights due diligence in order to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address adverse human rights impacts which they may have caused or contributed to. These views are clearly stated in the platform for action referred to above.
Otras medidas
The Government and agencies should play a proactive and supportive role in the processes mentioned above. Accordingly the Government is engaged in ongoing dialogues with Swedish enterprises both in Sweden and abroad mainly through its missions abroad, on the importance of addressing sustainable business issues.