03.09.2025
Profit does not take precedence over human rights!
Today, the Federal Cabinet approved a draft amendment to the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG). The federal government is thus initiating a change in the law that would undermine urgently needed safeguards for children's rights and environmental protection in the supply chains of German companies.
Two points in particular are unacceptable:
- The draft weakens sanctions for violations of due diligence obligations, making it easier to tolerate incomplete risk analyses in the future. In effect, this is an invitation to negligence.
- Reporting obligations are abolished: the traceability of effective measures for both the public and the BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control) is undermined.
In addition, companies that responded early and responsibly to comply with the LkSG are now being "punished" with another change to the framework conditions.
opinion
"We call on the Bundestag not to approve these legislative changes, as they represent a massive violation of children's rights."
"Today, after far too short a consultation period, the Federal Cabinet decided to weaken the Supply Chain Act. This would eliminate reporting obligations for companies as well as sanctions for violations of children's rights and other key due diligence obligations.
This would leave companies with less incentive to protect children's rights in their supply chains and consistently prevent child labor. Working children would be at greater risk of exploitation, as violations are less likely to be discovered and punished. We know from Terre des Hommes ' projects that exploitation often has lifelong consequences for the children affected.
We call on the Bundestag not to approve these legislative changes, as they represent a massive violation of children's rights. Anyone who wants to credibly advocate for the protection of children and their rights must preserve and strengthen the progress enshrined in law—not reverse it.
As part of the Supply Chain Law Initiative, Terre des Hommes demands that the Bundestag and Bundesrat must not pass the proposed legislative changes. Profit does not take precedence over human rights!
Statement from the Supply Chain Law Initiative:
Civil society organizations previously involved in the legislative process had less than 24 hours after the draft bill was published to submit a statement—an unusual and unreasonably short period of time for an analysis from a human rights perspective. The Supply Chain Law Initiative nevertheless addresses the key points in its statement:
"Instead of political activism, we need clear, reliable rules – for the rights of workers along global supply chains as well as for fair competition conditions for companies. In particular, the Bundestag must call on the federal government to advocate for the maintenance of an effective supply chain directive at the EU level."
The entire statement can be found on the website lieferkettengesetz.de
