IRBC and HRDD

Responsible Business Conduct and HREDD should form an integral part of business operations. RBC is a process through which a company takes responsibility for the social, environmental and economic consequences of its actions throughout the entire supply chain. Companies that practise corporate social responsibility are accountable for their actions and engage in dialogue with their stakeholders.

What is happening?

International trade brings opportunities for prosperity and employment in producing countries. Unfortunately, there are also serious risks, such as:

• forced labour,
• unsafe and unhealthy working conditions,
• wages that are far too low to live on,
• a lack of freedom of association (trade union freedom).

Worldwide, nearly 28 million people are working under coercion. Nearly half of the working population is not free to organise in a trade union and negotiate collectively to improve their own situation.

HREDD: Duty of care for people and the environment

Employers with an international supply chain are expected to be aware of what is happening within their supply chain, to take responsibility and to make informed choices.

An important part of RBC is therefore Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD). Companies must act with due care and identify, prevent and remedy risks and negative impacts relating to human rights and the environment within their supply chains. Trade unions play an important role in this.

CNV Internationaal supports companies and trade unions in implementing HREDD principles, with a focus on identifying risks of human rights violations, social dialogue and collective bargaining.

Key international guidelines and conventions on international responsible business conduct

The key rights and obligations of companies are set out in:

1. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
2. the core international labour standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO),
3. international guidelines, such as the OECD Guidelines.

To support companies, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has developed a practical step-by-step plan for due diligence. Trade unions play an important role on behalf of workers at every stage.

New opportunities for better working conditions worldwide

A level playing field thanks to European legislation on corporate responsibility

Companies operating in the European market will always have a level playing field thanks to the CSDDD, which was adopted on 24 April 2024. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is based on the OECD guidelines and obliges companies to take human rights and environmental impacts within their supply chains seriously.

It stipulates that trade unions must be involved at almost every stage of the process. This offers new opportunities for better working conditions worldwide.

CNV Internationaal works with trade unions and companies to implement this directive effectively and to strengthen social dialogue.

Our approach

CNV Internationaal is working on international CSR in various areas and:

1. Provides support: with the implementation of HREDD and CSDDD
2. Works in partnership: with trade unions to strengthen labour rights
3. Engages: with companies on fair wages and safe working conditions
4. Develops tools: such as the Fair Work Monitor to identify and measure risks and negative impacts on workers, as well as CSR performance, and then address these through a collective action plan.
5. Actively collaborates with, amongst others:

• the IMVO Renewable Energy Covenant for a sustainable and fair energy transition
• the second term of the IMVO Metal Agreement
• the implementation of projects and programmes.