Blogs, publications & articles
Is child labour just part of the culture?
“But isn’t child labour just part of the culture there?” That’s a question I’ve been asked more times than I can count—often by well-meaning professionals who feel uncomfortable imposing “Western” values on suppliers in other parts of the world. Poverty is not a...
Where is forced labour hiding in global supply chains?
A closer look at the countries and products most at risk. I am happy to share the new report by Human Rights at Work and CORE - The Human Side of Business which identifies global hotspots for forced labour: countries where it is most prevalent and product categories...
DEI Fundamental for Responsible business
Why European companies should stand firm: DEI is not 'woke', but a fundamental part of responsible business conduct In recent months, we have seen some European – including Dutch – companies reconsidering or even reducing their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)...
Business and human rights | 10 tips
A few years ago, I wrote this article for the Dutch magazine Compliance. This version has been updated and translated. It is increasingly clear to businesses that they have a responsibility for human rights as part of sustainability, ESG, social compliance, ethics,...
EU Commission’s Omnibus Proposal: A Step Back for Responsible Business Conduct?
Now that the dust has settled, I’ve been reflecting on what last week’s Omnibus proposal from the EU Commission truly means. What’s at stake? The effectiveness of corporate due diligence and responsible business conduct. Many of my fellow sustainability practitioners...
The CSDDD: A New Era for Corporate Human Rights Due Diligence
For the past 14 years, I have been working on human rights due diligence. I started at a time when I was still naive enough to believe that all companies would follow the UN Guiding Principles and respect human rights. I thought all they needed was a little help—maybe...