Appeal to the Federal Government on the EU Lief Chain Act
Cologne, 01.12.2022 - The children's rights organizations Kinderothilfe, Plan International Germany, Save the Children, terre des hommes , Unicef Germany and World Vision Germany are asking the Federal Government to set themselves significantly for better protection of human and children's rights in global value chains.
The occasion is the EU Council decision for the so-called EU Lief chain law for today, with which companies are intended to be obliged to comply with their entrepreneurial care in their global value chains.
In an open letter to Chancellor Scholz and the responsible ministers, the organizations demand that the rights of children are particularly taken into account. The background to this is different indications that the draft submitted by the EU Commission at the beginning of the year should be weakened for a guideline for the diligent duties of companies at crucial bodies.
"In the coalition agreement, the government parties have clearly known themselves for an effective EU supplier chain law," said Christian Schneider, managing director of Unicef Germany. »Germany should therefore work in the EU legislative process for regulation, which protects children from negative effects of entrepreneurial action and advances in use against global child labor. A weakening of the current bill would contradict this objective. «
From the perspective of the organizations, it is indispensable that the EU directive obliges companies to identify child rights risks not only in established business relationships, but also in all of their value chain and supply chains and to ensure effective remedies, prevention and reparation.
In addition, UNICEF calls the Federal Government with the other children's rights organizations to use the UN Convention on the Rights of Children as a legal estate to be observed as in the previous draft commission.