Belgium
Action point 1
Develop a toolkit for companies and organizations on human rights
This point presents the action of developing, in collaboration with experts and its main human rights stakeholders and organizations, a toolbox that will help companies prevent human rights violations and promote the respect for human rights through their activities. This “Toolbox” will be composed of different elements including how companies can create grievance mechanisms.
Action point 2
Prepare a brochure on grievance mechanisms related to public authority
Elaborer une brochure sur les mécanismes de réparation liés à l’autorité publique
This point states that the federal government will engage in a research mission to list all of the different state-based mechanisms (both judicial and non-judicial) that can be used in cases of human rights violations by companies or organizations (Belgian or foreign). The NAP explains that “it is the duty of the authorities to ensure effective remedies for the victims of human rights violations by companies and organizations. This is through appropriate judicial, administrative, legislative or other means. ..Reparation can take place in a variety of ways, ranging from public apologies to penalties (criminal or administrative), including compensation, rehabilitation, financial and non-financial compensation, and prevention of violations, for example through injunctions or guarantees of non-recurrence. Reparation procedures must be neutral, protected against corruption and free from political or other attempts to influence the outcome. The NAP further comments that in Belgium “various legal procedures (both judicial and extra-judicial procedures and grievance mechanisms) form the basis of the grievance system. Mediation procedures can be accessed through the OECD NCP, and different provisions included in the criminal law can be imposed through the Belgian courts, etc. However, many of these grievance mechanisms are insufficiently known about. The federal government will engage in a research mission to list all of the different state-based mechanisms (both judicial and non-judicial) that can be used in cases of human rights violations by companies or organizations (Belgian or foreign).
Action point 16
Promote social reporting, including human rights
Promouvoir les rapports sociétaux, droits de l’Homme inclus
The mentions that in the “Baromètre RSE 2011” (see Action point 18), it was discovered that the theme of human rights was the third most important challenge identified by companies, while only 28% had a code of conduct that addressed human rights, merely 25% had grievance mechanisms for collecting complaints about human rights violations, and barely 9% had a human rights audit system.