On September 23, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) hosted a conference on the potential of multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) in the implementation of the new EU directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in Brussels.
More than 130 participants from EU institutions, federal ministries, NGOs, industry associations and multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) participated in the event. This included contributions from representatives of the German Ministries and the EU Commission, as well as a panel discussion and a marketplace showcasing examples and experiences of a range of different MSIs and MSPs from Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The organization and implementation of the event was supported by Partnerships2030 together with the Sector Dialogues Office for the implementation of the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights (NAP).
The recently published documentation summarizes the key insights of the discussion. There was a strong emphasis on the need for sector-specific and context-related initiatives since, in the words of one speaker, “a t-shirt is not a banana”. Another widely supported call was the shift from dialogue to action, aimed at designing effective MSIs. Participants also highlighted the relevance of involving rights holders at local level. Furthermore, there was a consensus on the importance of governmental backing for MSIs. There is particular interest in the forthcoming guidance on fitness criteria for MSIs led by the EU Commission as well as the activities within the Team Europe approach, where the European Commission is collaborating with Member States on accompanying measures for CSDDD and MSIs.
Please find below the detailed documentation. For further information, you can also find the latest news from Partnerships2030 and the press release from BMAS and BMZ on the event.
