ADVOCATING FOR SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS
Global supply chains can boost development and create jobs. But often, they lack transparency and effective processes to address adverse human rights and environmental impacts.
Still opaque and unfair
For supply chains to be fair and sustainable, they first and foremost need to be made transparent. But beyond the »Made in« labels on clothes, foods and electronics, consumers often know little about the environmental and human rights impacts of the items they purchase. Despite significant progress since the first major child labour scandals, dangerous working conditions, below minimum wage pay levels and reprisals towards trade union members are still commonplace in many countries where global corporations source their goods and components.
Crucial to identify and address risks
The root causes of these risks are often related to unsustainable and exploitative business models, weak law enforcement and impunity. International frameworks adopted by the United Nations and OECD member states require companies to respect human rights, identify risks of negative impacts in their supply chains and address them properly. This is known as human rights due diligence and is particularly important when operating in countries with poor human rights track records.
Other priority areas:
Responsible use of natural resources
Empowered rights holders and defenders
Special focus supply chains: Public procurement
Supply chain risks in public procurement
Snapshots of our work on supply chains
The dark side of electronics
The report Toxic Tech found that factory workers in the Philippines suffer from miscarriages and cancers and, despite the country's poor reputation on workers’ rights, little evidence of companies taking responsibility for their safety.
Based on the findings, Swedwatch called on companies and importers to ensure that workers are both informed of workplace risks and protected against exposure to hazardous chemicals.
A follow up report also recommended a gender approach to this work; women make up a large portion of the electronics production workforce and are more vulnerable to some of the identified chemicals than men.
Pharma pollution
Following publication of the report The Health Paradox, Swedwatch actively advocated for changes in European Union legislation, which contributed to putting problems with supply chain transparency and the lack of due diligence firmly on the European Union agenda. It also contributed to the Swedish government allocating funding to address issues of pharma pollution.
Textile workers raise their voice
Following a survey of Scandinavian garment and textile companies and interviews with local actors, Swedwatch published the report Power of the Voice and followed up with advocacy work to support trade unions. The project contributed to putting pressure on companies to publish supplier lists and on Swedish companies to organise dialogue with their suppliers and workers.
Risky public procurement
The Swedwatch report Trapped in the Kitchen of the World highlighted the need for contracting authorities to identify high-risk goods and services and to implement and monitor compliance with social criteria. Following the investigation, contracting municipal and regional authorities carried out audits, visited Thai poultry factories and increased their monitoring and dialogue with suppliers.