On 13 December 2024, the updated National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights (NAP) 2024-2027 was adopted by the Federal Council. The updated NAP is the result of two external evaluation studies and a constructive dialogue between representatives from business, civil society, trade unions, academia and the federal administration. It aims to strengthen the implementation of due diligence procedures in the activities and value chains of Swiss companies, particularly in a changing regulatory environment.
CSR Risck Check: new digital tool for Swiss companies to identify social and environmental risks in their value chain
The CSR Risk Check for Swiss companies is now available online. With this digital tool, Swiss companies active abroad can easily and rapidly assess and identify social, environmental and governance risks in their value chain. In just a few clicks, the tool generates a list of potential issues for selected product and/or country in the form of a risk assessment. It also provides guidance on how to prevent and mitigate identified risks. CSR Risk Check is free of charge and searches are anonymous.
CSR Risk Check is currently available in English and German, as it is a SECO pilot project.
Business and human rights: two studies analyse the performance of the Confederation and the private sector
These external studies, commissioned by EAER and the FDFA, focussed on the implementation of the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights 2020-2023 (NAP) by the Confederation and on how Swiss companies implement due diligence procedures in accordance with international standards.
The first study, which was conducted by a consortium consisting of the University of Zurich (Competence Centre for Human Rights), Good Rechtsanwälte GmbH and engageability, assessed the relevance and effectiveness of the NAP. The second study, which was conducted by ECOFACT and the University of Zurich, took stock of the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct by the Swiss private sector.
In addition, concrete recommendations for updating the NAP for the period 2024-2027 were formulated as part of these studies. EAER and the FDFA have issued joint statements on the recommendations based on their relevance and feasibility. These opinions will be published together with the studies.
The studies and joint statements are only available in German. However, both studies provide summaries in English, French and Italian.
Now available - New explanatory videos on human rights due diligence and human rights risk assessment
Based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct, these videos provide a brief overview of the main steps of human rights due diligence and of how to conduct a human rights risk assessment. They also explain how respecting human rights contributes to sustainable business success.
The coordination office of the National action plan on business and human rights is affiliated to the SECO and the Peace and Human Rights Division of the FDFA. We respond to your questions by e-mail:
