Jump to the content An initiative by:

Overview: CSR

Background

Overview: Background

Sustainability and CSR

International frameworks: guides for global business

Benefits for companies

CSR national

Overview: CSR national

National CSR Forum

CSR Policies in Germany

CSR international

Overview: CSR international

The EU's CSR policy

CSR: the global dimension

Overview: Business & Human Rights

NAP

Overview: NAP

About the NAP

Overview: About the NAP

Objectives

Development of the Action Plan

Four action areas of the NAP

Original version of the NAP

Monitoring

UN Guiding Principles

NAP International

Commitment of the Federal Government

Overview: Commitment of the Federal Government

The state's duty to protect

Activities of the Federal Government

Cooperation with stakeholders

Corporate due diligence

Overview: Corporate due diligence

Federal Government expectations

Five core elements of due diligence

Access to remedy and remediation

Supply Chain Act

Overview: Supply Chain Act

Background and development

Implementation by enterprises

FAQ

Europe

Overview: Europe

EU supply chain law initiative

EU regulation on conflict minerals

EU Timber Regulation

G7-Presidency 2022

Implementation support

Overview: Implementation support

Sector dialogues

Overview: Sector dialogues

Automotive Industry

About the dialogues

Setting up the dialogues

The role of the Federal Government

Information, advice, training and networks

Overview: Information, advice, training and networks

Information and advice

Networks and training

Guidance documents

Overview: Guidance documents

General guidance documents

Sector-specific guidance documents

An initiative by: CSR

Overview: CSR

Background

Overview: Background

Sustainability and CSR

International frameworks: guides for global business

Benefits for companies

CSR national

Overview: CSR national

National CSR Forum

CSR Policies in Germany

CSR international

Overview: CSR international

The EU's CSR policy

CSR: the global dimension

Business & Human Rights

Overview: Business & Human Rights

NAP

Overview: NAP

About the NAP

Overview: About the NAP

Objectives

Development of the Action Plan

Four action areas of the NAP

Original version of the NAP

Monitoring

UN Guiding Principles

NAP International

Commitment of the Federal Government

Overview: Commitment of the Federal Government

The state's duty to protect

Activities of the Federal Government

Cooperation with stakeholders

Corporate due diligence

Overview: Corporate due diligence

Federal Government expectations

Five core elements of due diligence

Access to remedy and remediation

Supply Chain Act

Overview: Supply Chain Act

Background and development

Implementation by enterprises

FAQ

Europe

Overview: Europe

EU supply chain law initiative

EU regulation on conflict minerals

EU Timber Regulation

G7-Presidency 2022

Implementation support

Overview: Implementation support

Sector dialogues

Overview: Sector dialogues

Automotive Industry

About the dialogues

Setting up the dialogues

The role of the Federal Government

Information, advice, training and networks

Overview: Information, advice, training and networks

Information and advice

Networks and training

Guidance documents

Overview: Guidance documents

General guidance documents

Sector-specific guidance documents

NAP

NAP International

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which were adopted by consensus by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011, are based on three pillars:

  • States' duty to protect human rights,
  • Companies' responsibility to respect human rights and
  • Access to remedy for victims of human rights violations.

In order to meet these standards, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights mandated by the Human Rights Council called on the international community to implement the UN Guidelines on Business and Human Rights, in particular by developing National Action Plans (NAPs). Since 2013 various countries have been developing and implementing NAPs for business and human rights. The development processes, the contents and the structures for implementing the plans vary from country to country, for example, in terms of the level of ambition and the priorities.

Adopted NAPs

Currently 27 countries have adopted a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

In Germany, the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights (NAP) adopted on 21 December 2016 promotes the implementation of the Guiding Principles. At international level, a total of 24 countries have currently adopted a NAP, 19 of which are European, including 16 EU member states1. In 16 others, a formal process to develop a National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights is underway. While France, Colombia and Denmark, for example, are already implementing their own National Action Plans, countries such as Peru and India are still in the development phase. In a number of countries that have already adopted NAPs, the NAPs are currently being or will soon be reviewed in order to prepare their further development or revisions, for example in the Netherlands and Spain. Given their global supply and value chains, many German companies are also directly affected by the different regulations and policy approaches to implementing the UN Guiding Principles in different countries.

NAPs under development

Currently, 32 countries are developing a NAPs on business and human rights.

In the interests of a global level playing field and an effective strengthening of human rights protection, it is a central concern of the Federal Government that as many countries as possible implement the UN Guiding Principles with high-quality policy programmes, mostly in the form of National Action Plans. This includes deepening the common understanding of due diligence obligations in international dialogue and promoting cross-border sustainable supply chain management through practical cooperation measures. In the NAP, the Federal Government has committed itself to actively promoting the drafting of NAPs in developing and emerging countries as well, for example, by supporting national human rights institutions. With a view to the EU level, the Federal Government would like to see a European Action Plan on responsible corporate governance and human rights in supply chains that combines the measures of the EU and its member states coherently. Within the framework of the G7/G20, the Federal Government was able to ensure that a clear political commitment to the promotion of sustainable supply chains with reference to the UN Guiding Principles was included in the final declarations adopted in Elmau in 2015 (G7) and Hamburg in 2017 (G20). The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that these G7/G20 decisions are not forgotten.

Internationally, there are two key reference points providing information on existing NAPs in a global context: the OHCHR website and the website of the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Much of the information on existing NAPs on this website comes from these sources.

NAP