News

Comprehensive legislation in the field of international responsible business conduct (RBC) and cooperation within sectors reinforce one another. Legislation to impose obligations combined with cooperation leads to the greatest impact within the supply chain to prevent or tackle risks to people and the environment. In both respects, this will require scaling up to ultimately the European level; ambitious efforts on the part of the Netherlands will help to achieve this.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned an evaluation of the agreements which promote international responsible business conduct. The SER will consider this evaluation in its advisory report for Minister Kaag of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation about the Dutch government’s future policy on international responsible business conduct.

More action is urgently needed to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030. Companies, governments, citizens and NGOs have to do much more than they do now for sustainable business.

The coalition that concluded the Dutch Banking Sector Agreement on International Responsible Business Conduct Regarding Human Rights (DBA) has published its second annual report. The report consists of a general part describing the developments within the DBA, a report of the independent Monitoring Committee and a response to this report from the Steering Committee and some individual parties.

Sharing solutions and exchanging knowledge: employers and employees in the Netherlands are working together on healthy and safe working conditions. The SER OSH Platform is the place where employers, employees and health and safety professionals can go for information and advice.

The International Responsible Business Conduct (IRBC) Agreement for the floricultural sector was signed at the World Horti Center in Naaldwijk today.

Stakeholders in the metals sector are joining forces to advocate for and stimulate international responsible business conduct (IRBC) in the sector. Companies, industry associations, government, trade unions and civil society organisations will sign the ‘International RBC Agreement for the Metals Sector: Delivering Responsible Metals Supply Chains Together’ on 23 May. The aim is to promote international responsible business conduct and to combat human rights and environmental rights violations in the metals sector.

In the month leading up to the European elections, the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER) will issue an advisory report on a deeper, fairer single market. Although there is no doubting their love for Europe, employer organisation chair Hans de Boer and trade union chair Han Busker feel that there are things that Europe needs to do better.

The Dutch and Flemish natural stone industry, the Dutch and Flemish governments, NGOs and trade unions have agreed to work together towards more responsible production and procurement of natural stone.

Dutch pension funds are entering into cooperation with NGOs, trade unions and government on sustainable investment. Today, they are signing the Agreement on International Responsible Investment for the Pensions Sector[Convenant Internationaal Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Beleggen Pensioenfondsen].