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Duty of vigilance

A victory against multinational corporation’s impunity

Oliver Petitjean, 2 October 2019

[English] [français]

Multinational corporations involved in environmental or human rights-related scandals, such as the Bhopal disaster or the collapse of the Rana Plaza, have often enjoyed total impunity.
In an attempt to force them to take responsibility, a consortium of NGOs and civil society organizations has been formed in France to defend the idea of a law. Adopted in February 2017, the law on the duty of vigilance of multinationals is one of the only citizens’ initiative laws that has been passed in France. It compels corporations to prevent social, environmental and governance risks related to their operations, which may also extend to their impacts on consumers, subsidiaries and business partners.
Olivier Petitjean, who closely followed the process, retraces the main stages of the construction of this law. He puts into perspective the longer history of the struggle against the impunity of multinationals, and draws lessons concerning civil society strategy, alliances and confrontation with the influence of lobbies.

Essay
Publication date : October, 18th 2019
150p., 10 euros
ISBN : 978-2-84377
EAN13 : 9782843772191

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