Wednesday, 18 May 2022 | 14:00 – 17:30 CET

About this event

This event brings together grassroots campaigners, and national and European civil society organisations to explore how to connect existing and forthcoming campaign initiatives on corporate accountability. Speakers will show how European citizens are self-organizing against corporate abuse at the local and national level, and share their views about how to connect these interrelated struggles in order to better influence EU policy and legislative developments.  

The event will deep dive into specific cases of corporate abuse along global supply chains with insights from affected human rights defenders and civil society campaigners holding the responsible European companies accountable. This will be followed by a reflection on how to strengthen the corporate accountability movement through engagement and mobilisation at the EU level, particularly with regards to the proposed directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence 

Context

Last year, more than half a million people around the world have demanded a strong EU law to hold corporations accountable for their impact on human rights, including trade union and workers’ rights, and the environment. A YouGov poll found that across multiple EU countries, 80% of citizens want strong laws to hold companies liable for overseas violations.  

This massive support for due diligence rules has not materialised within a vacuum. The corporate accountability movement is growing and active around the globe, and many European citizens are already part of it. The European campaign for a strong Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence directive seeks to build upon this momentum by connecting the people on the frontlines in the Global South, as well as in European member States, to counter the corporate lobby against this important future legislation. 

Programme

• Moderator: Sacha Feierabend, Program Officer – Globalisation and Human Rights, Fédération internationale pour les Droits Humains / International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) 

Grassroots-level mobilization against corporate abuse in Europe

• Katie Poltz – Fossil Free Culture – The Netherlands
• Alenka Kreč Bricelj –  Za pitno vodo / For Drinking Water  – Slovenia
• Luise Schroter – Supply Chain Justice – UK

(Trans)national-level campaigning for legislative change on corporate accountability and due diligence

• Nadia Cornejo, CNCD.11.11.11 – Made with respect – Belgium
• Martina Rogato, Human Rights International Corner, and Luciano Manna, photographer – Impresa 2030. Diamoci una regolata  – Italy
• Sorcha Tunney, Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights – Make it your Business  –  Ireland
• Johannes Heeg, Initiative Lieferkettengesetz – Yes, EU can! –  Germany

EU-level campaigning: Justice is everybody’s business!

• Jill McArdle – Friends of the Earth Europe
• Niklas Franke – European Trade Union Confederation

Practicalities

Location: Online via Zoom (register below) 

Date: 18 May, 2022 

Time: Event starts at 14:00 CEST and ends at 17:30 CEST 

Registration

Please sign up via this link.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.