Belgium

STATUS IN BELGIUM/ACTIONS ENGAGED:

In general, the NAP does not engage with the second pillar to the same extent as the first and third pillars. In the introduction it is stated that “through the NAP Belgium wants to encourage and invite companies to organize the implementation of the second pillar in an ambitious and coherent manner, and in consultation with stakeholders.” It also adds that respecting human rights is not only the duty of business companies, but of any organization.

PLANNED ACTIONS:

Action point 4, Promouvoir les initiatives qualitatives existantes relatives aux droits de l’Homme et à la responsabilité sociétale [Promote existing qualitative initiatives on human rights and social responsibility], the federal government explains that as part of the promotion of the application of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the OECD NCP organized a seminar in early 2014, which highlighted the importance of the respect and promotion of human rights by companies.

Action point 10, La Belgique s’engage à intégrer des critères « droits de l’Homme » et de Responsabilité sociétale des entreprises (RSE) dans la stratégie d’appui au développement du secteur privé local de la coopération belge [Belgium is committed to integrating human rights and corporate social responsibility (CSR) criteria into the local private sector development support strategy of Belgian cooperation] of the Belgian NAP briefly mentions “the promotion of fair and sustainable trade and the support of social economy and the favoring of socially responsible entrepreneurship” as one of the areas that the cooperation for Belgian development will monitor.

 Action point 15, Intégrer le principe de « diligence raisonnable » au sein des organismes de gestion de l’entreprise, également en matière de droits de l’Homme [Incorporate the principle of “due diligence” into the management of the company, also in the terms of human rights] is the main action point on human rights due diligence. The integration of the ‘due diligence’ obligation for companies covered by the EU Directive 2014/95/EU concerning human rights in the instruments of corporate governance will allow for the creation of new business opportunities, as well as clarify the expectation of the plublic authority vis-à-vis companies, in particular companies that do not yet have a comprehensive social responsibility policy, with an emphasis on prevention rather than punishment.

Action point 16, Promouvoir les rapports sociétaux, droits de l’Homme inclus [Promote social reporting, including human rights] is the main action point covering the issue of non-financial reporting. The NAP explains that given the adoption of the new EU directive 2014/95/EU, some major companies will be required to disclose non-financial information in their annual report relating to the environmental, social and human resource issues, respect for human rights and the fight against corruption and bribery. Companies that meet the conditions for making such a non-financial statement but that do not have a policy on one or more of the above-mentioned issues will be required to provide a clear and reasoned explanation of the reasons for this choice and to include it in this non-financial reporting. “Within the European Commission, Belgium will insist on support measures, for both large companies that are obliged to publish a report, as well as small and medium sized companies and other organizations that wish to do so on a voluntary basis.”

On Action point 17, Plaider au niveau de la Belgique pour le renforcement de l’intégration du développement durable (y compris des droits de l’Homme) dans les accords de libre échange [Advocate for strengthening the integration of sustainable development (including human rights) in free trade agreements] the federal government states that during negotiations at the European level, Belgium will advocate for the respect and inclusion of fundamental labour rights and international environmental standards – including in cases of development cooperation – in investment agreements and free trade agreements. “Any new trade or investment agreement must not have negative impact on sustainable development.”

Action point 19, Promouvoir les bonnes pratiques des PME qui adoptent une gestion de la chaine d’approvisionnement responsable, notamment grâce à l’outil « CSR Compass » [Promote best practice of SMEs that adopt responsible supply chain management, especially through the  « CSR Compass » tool], has a special focus on SMEs.

• Actions from the government of Wallonia will include the promoting the ready-made instruments to the companies, also covering the CRS compass. Concretely, this will involve setting up workshops for exchanges between companies of the same sector and the creation of a practical guide for SMEs wishing to improve the ethics in their supply chain.

In the context of the Action point 22, Encourager la gestion responsable des chaînes d’approvisionnement avec une approche sectorielle [Encourage responsible supply chain management with a sector-wide approach], the NAP explains that different initiatives have been made in the past to contribute to the respect for human rights in supply chains – mainly quoting different OECD guidelines.