At this year’s donation gala on ZDF, Benjamin Pütter performed live and presented a project by XertifiX Social Projects e.V. in conversation with Johannes B. Kerner.
The post can be seen here:
This year’s ZDF donation gala with Johannes B. Kerner collects, among other things, for our school project for carpet weaving children, which is monitored by XertifiX social projects. The gala will be broadcast on ZDF on December 17, 2022 from 8:15 p.m.
In Agra, children from the age of 5 have to weave carpets and are thus robbed of their childhood: they can neither play nor attend a kindergarten or later school. They remain trapped in the spiral of poverty into which they were born. In order to offer these children a way out of this situation, our partner organization Vikas Santhan is running a school project. In this way, these children are taught basic content and are gradually prepared for attending a state school.
Broadcast date: 17.12.22 from 8.15 p.m. on ZDF
ZDF announcement: The ” Carpet Children” of India
Please refer: Radhika (8) knüpft Teppiche für deutsche Wohnzimmer
We are pleased that our Chairwoman Ingrid Sehrbrock received the Federal Cross of Merit from Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke in the name of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier last Thursday. The Federal President is thus honoring Sehrbrock’s years of commitment to justice through his work with the CDU, Care and XertifiX. In her voluntary work, Sehrbrock has campaigned, among other things, for equal rights for women, better working conditions for textile workers and quarry workers, as well as for school and social projects.
We warmly congratulate Ingrid Sehrbrock on this well-deserved award!
The purpose of the new study was to analyze how well the NAP UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and where there are still deficits. It should also be developed which important new topics in the field of human rights have meanwhile been added. Regarding the latter point, it is noticeable that in 2015 audits and certifications still had no role in the Report played. In contrast, the new study from 2022 makes some suggestions for the classification and further development of audits and certifications.
This is due to the fact that audits are playing an increasingly important role in the implementation of supply chain laws such as the LkSG. On the one hand, this is good news, but on the other hand, it also makes it clear that the legislature must pay more attention to the quality and reliability of certifications. Among other things, it proposes:
XertifiX would expressly welcome it if the government would take more action in this area in order to achieve quality assurance for the audits and certifications offered and used on the market. Especially with a view to smaller companies (“SMEs”), it must be emphasized that reliable seals/certifications can take on a significant relieving function, which should not be underestimated. But even in these cases, it goes without saying that the “ultimate responsibility” and liability for their own supply chains must always lie with the companies themselves.
Please refer: National Baseline Assessment: Contribution to updating the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (German)
bzw.: pdf (German)
As many know, simply condemning child labor as such is far too short-sighted. One also has to consider the context that leads to child labor. We shouldn’t just blame employers for employing child labourers. We also need to examine: How do these and other employers pay adult workers? Are living wages paid? Are there social security systems that benefit workers? Is occupational safety important to prevent (avoidable) accidents? etc.
A new joint study by the ILO and UNICEF demonstrates the direct connection between social security systems and child labour. The study also makes concrete suggestions as to how social security systems should be structured in order to prevent child labour.
Please refer: The role of social protection in the elimination of child labour
In a landmark decision, the United Nations International Labor Conference (ILC) ruled that “health and safety at work” should be upgraded as the fifth ILO core labor standard. Every year, 3 million workers die at work and tens of millions of workers suffer injuries and illnesses from their jobs.
Unions will now stand up worldwide to ensure that as many countries as possible adopt and implement all ILO conventions on health and safety, such as the right to risk consultation, elimination of toxic substances, provision of appropriate protective equipment and the implementation of protective measures and training.
Please refer: ILO: Major breakthrough on occupational health and safety
On the occasion of this year’s Day Against Child Labor (June 12), we recommend the documentary “Riders of Destiny”. The film tells the story of two little boys, Sila and Firman. Sila and Firman are child jockeys who risk their lives to take care of their loved ones. At only 5 and 7 years old, they are responsible for their families.
This week the tv format “Volle Kanne” (ZDF) reported on the film and then interviewed the XertifiX co-founder Benjamin Pütter on the subject of child labour.
Please refer: Riders of Destiny
Please refer: Volle Kanne vom 13.06.2022 (ab Minute 3 und 37 Sek.)
On February 23, 2022, the EU Commission presented its proposal for an EU Due Diligence Directive. This is a big step forward towards a more just and fair globalization! It is also very welcome that the draft directive closes some gaps in German law:
The draft stipulates that EU companies with more than 500 employees and a turnover of 150 million euros and in risk sectors for EU companies with more than 250 employees and a turnover of 40 million euros must take responsibility for the supply chain. This is a clear step forward compared to Germany (where only companies with 1,000 employees will be included from 2024). But even the EU limit is not enough, insofar as the directive would probably only apply to less than one percent of EU companies.
As welcome as the inclusion of a liability rule in the directive is, it must be feared that companies could exploit possible loopholes. Because the draft directive provides that companies can meet their obligations by including certain clauses in their contracts with suppliers and outsourcing the verification process. This would give companies the opportunity to pass on their responsibility to their suppliers.
It is also problematic that the due diligence requirements are limited to ‘established business relationships’. In principle, it is therefore possible for companies to evade this by frequently changing suppliers.
For this reason, the Supply Chain Law Initiative, of which XertifiX is a member, calls on the federal government to use its influence in the EU to advocate for improvements so that Europe ultimately has a really effective supply chain law, as is also stipulated in the German coalition agreement.
Please refer: Proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence and annex
Please see also: Dangerous gaps undermine EU Commission’s new legislation on sustainable supply chains
Please see also: Initiative Lieferkettengesetz
More than 100 companies and investors are calling for an effective EU supply chain law. Various companies such as Ikea, Danone, Epson and Hapag-Lloyd as well as numerous outdoor companies such as Vaude, Schöffel, Jack Wolfskin and Deuter have published a statement with demands on this.
At the beginning of the statement, the companies express great concern that the publication of a proposal for a corresponding law by the EU Commission has been significantly delayed (see below), and they call on the EU Commission to finally meet its responsibility.
A total of 5 demands are mentioned that the EU Commission should take into account, which include: The legislation must apply to all companies so that the same competitive conditions are created for all companies (and not, as in Germany, for companies from 3000 (from 2023 ) or 1000 (from 2024) employees). The due diligence obligations should apply to the entire value chain (and not only to the first supplier, as is the case in German law). And the law should contain a liability rule that allows victims to obtain compensation (which is also not provided for in German law).
The EU Commission has now announced that it will publish its draft on February 23, 2022. We will report here as soon as the draft is available.
See: Making EU legislation on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence effective
For the third time, the EU Commission has postponed the draft of the planned European supply chain law. The draft will therefore no longer be published this year as planned, but rather in March 2022 at the earliest. No reasons are given for the postponement. It is believed that the intervention of the “Regulatory Scrutiny Board” is responsible for this. This is a body of dubious democratic legitimation within the Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/regulatory-scrutiny-board_de
Numerous European civil society organizations and trade unions have therefore written an open letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. There it says among other things:
“Despite your promise to come up with a ‘solid and balanced’ proposal in 2021, press reports have warned us that the SCG initiative is being further delayed. It is unacceptable that such an important new law, which can help millions of people demand justice against human rights abuses and help protect our environment and the climate, be postponed for the third time.
We are also deeply concerned about the total lack of transparency about the reasons for this new delay. The uncertainty about the fate of the legislation is very harmful to people suffering from irresponsible corporate behavior and to the environment. This inexplicable delay risks undermining the trust that European citizens, local and international civil society and trade union organizations, workers and victims of corporate abuse have placed in the EU to regulate sustainable and responsible business in the wake of the COVID pandemic and the climate and Biodiversity crisis. “
Please refer:
December 10th is Human Rights Day. We would have liked to have been able to announce news from the EU that day promising increasing protection of human rights. It is therefore all the more important to support initiatives that campaign for human rights around the world, such as XertifiX or the Supply Chain Act initiative .