HRC 47: Panel discussion on the tenth anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

Madame President,

We congratulate the Working Group on its important work, including the stock-taking report. Sweden shares the view that sustainable business should be at the core of our responses to climate-change and other global challenges. While states have the primary responsibility to ensure human rights, businesses have a responsibility to respect them. Their undertakings should neither cause nor contribute to human rights violations or abuses.

As the sixth country in the world, Sweden adopted a National Action Plan in 2015. Business and human rights is part of the Swedish Trade and Investment Strategy and the Platform for International Sustainable Business, both launched in 2019, in which the government expresses a clear expectation on enterprises to respect human rights. A mix of smart measures were taken to implement the NAP:

• New ambitious legislation on sustainability reporting for major companies; clearer sustainability criteria in the Public Procurement Act; and stronger legal protection for whistle-blowers.

• Strengthened focus on UNGP compliance in state-owned enterprises and pension funds.

• Instructed Business Sweden and the Swedish Export Credit Agency to ensure that supported businesses operate in accordance with the UNGPs.

Sweden also supports EU legislation on mandatory human rights due diligence with effective access to a remedy as a means to implement the UNGPs.

Today we recommit to the UN Guiding Principles. The UNGPs remain a cornerstone to fulfil our obligations to ensure human rights in business.  Sweden will push implementation through coherent trade, export promotion, and development cooperation policies.

Engaging in multi-stakeholder dialogues and consultations are key to addressing these challenges and crucial to achieving the SDGs.

Thank you.