NRW: From 01. January 2020 only new tombstones with certificate
As of January 1, 2020, in North Rhine-Westphalia new tombstones will have a certification requirement if the grave stones come from India, China, Vietnam or the Philippines. This is set by a new circular, which was published on 09 November 2019. So far, XertifiX is the only certifier accredited by the state of NRW.
Please refer (German only): Runderlass
Please refer to the website (German only): Feststellung der Funktionsfähigkeit des Zertifizierungsverfahrens nach § 4a Absatz 1 des Bestattungsgesetzes
We are delighted that XertifiX has been accredited by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (State Chancellery) as the – so far only – certifier for tombstones. Probably, from 01.01.2020 onwards, the presentation of a certificate must be submitted when purchasing a new gravestone from India, China, Vietnam or the Philippines.
At the 5th Future Forum “Making Globalization Righteous”, Federal Minister Gerd Müller clearly stated that companies are responsible for their supply chains: “Companies must ensure that human rights are respected in supply chains.” He emphasizes positively that many companies are now voluntarily moving forward. But he also points out that this is far from sufficient: “If we come to the conclusion at the end of the year that the voluntary approaches are not sufficient, we will legally oblige the big companies. Best at the European level – if necessary, but also nationally. That’s how we set it in the coalition agreement. ”
“Bread for the World” welcomes the plan of the state of Brandenburg to authorize municipalities to ban gravestones from child labor. However, Thilo Hoppe, head of the Department’s Policy Department, draws attention to a number of aspects that need to be considered. The municipalities would have to determine which certificates were allowed to prove fair grave stones. The municipalities should not be left alone with this decision. It would therefore still be the task of the state to give the municipalities instructions as to which certifiers exist and are to be classified as serious.
On August 22, 2018, the Hesse Landtag passed the new funeral ordinance. One important change: Municipalities may in future ban tombstones made with exploitative child labor from the cemeteries. The new ordinance allows municipalities to ask for a complete documentation or equivalent certificates as proof of production without exploitative child labor.
