Konzernverantwortungsinitiative: Was ändert sich bei einem JA?

The highly debated Swiss Responsible Business Initiative will be put to public vote in November 2020. If the electorate supports the position of the Initiative, a provision titled «Responsibility of Businesses» will be introduced into the Swiss Constitution. According to this provision companies seated in Switzerland would be required to respect internationally recognized human rights and environmental standards not only in Switzerland but also abroad. These companies would have to conduct a periodic due diligence throughout their supply and distribution chain, and to publicly disclose the results. The provision further clarifies that a smaller group among these companies would also be held liable for torts committed in their distribution chain if caused by a ‹controlled› company infringing human rights or environmental standards.

The authors examine the content of this possible constitutional amendment and dwell especially on the implementation measures needed. It is…