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26 Mar 2019

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Virginia Mucchi
Head of Communications
vm@ecdpm.org

Dear <<First name>>,

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the private sector has a key role to play, and it must play it responsibly. That is the focus of this week’s Compass. More specifically, we look at the way companies decide themselves – or are compelled – to act responsibly.

For example, is legislation necessary for social and environmental due diligence on the whole supply chain? There has recently been a debate in Germany about introducing it, while it’s already in place in the UK and France, albeit with varying levels of requirements. Alternatively, should we let key actors choose voluntarily to collaborate and identify together the tools that can help companies assume their wider responsibilities? And does it have to be one or the other, or would it be more effective to have a combination of the two?

The benefits of this mixed approach are highlighted in the paper by Poorva Karkare and Jeske van Seters. They analyse the pros and cons of due diligence legislation in the UK and France versus initiatives established by all relevant stakeholders.

An example where legislation and voluntary efforts coexist is the EU’s Conflict Minerals Regulation and the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals. We have a brief on the early experiences and the drivers that have helped create this partnership between governments, companies and civil society, which is aimed at making sure the precious minerals that are imported into the European Union are sourced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

If you want to know more about what we do on the private sector, do have a look at our dedicated dossier.

All the best,

Virginia

Editor's Pick

A smart mix for responsible business conduct

While a one-sided approach to multi-stakeholder initiatives or due diligence legislation often results in a range of shortcomings, we explore how combining them can help preserve human and labour rights as well as minimise environmental damage in the move towards responsible business conduct. Read the paper >>

Highlights

Responsibly sourcing minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas

In 2021, the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation will enter into force, obliging importers of gold and other metals to ensure supply chain due diligence. Jeske van Seters and Nadia Ashraf look at European Partnership for Responsible Minerals, the multi-stakeholder initiative created to enhance the impact of the regulation. Read the paper >>

Dossier: Partnerships between businesses and civil society

The 2030 Agenda puts a lot of emphasis on the role of the private sector and on partnerships to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. In this dossier, you can find our latest analyses and blogs on the drivers and constraints of this form of cooperation. Read the dossier >> 

Events


25-29 MAR

The 20th World Bank conference on land and poverty takes place in Washington, DC.


27 MAR

ECDPM’s Jeske van Seters and Jean Bossuyt will be speaking at a forum organised by the European Commission on the European Instrument for Democracy & Human Rights and the role of civil society organisations.


27 MAR

ECDPM’s Jean Bossuyt will also take part in a panel discussion on women’s rights in Africa-EU relations hosted by Care International and DSW International.


27 MAR

Other news & interesting reads

Trade, finance and investment

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa released its Economic Report on Africa for the year 2019.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png The Institute for Security Studies tells its readers about the high cost of having China as Africa’s partner of choice.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png The Center for Global Development’s Bright Simons argues that growing engagement of smaller Chinese businesses is fuelling a new kind of industrialisation in some African countries.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png The WTO Secretariat and governments of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda published a report for the third joint Trade Policy Review of the East African Community.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png Devex takes a closer look at the rise of development finance institutions.


Climate change

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png Africa Times reports that several climate champions from the African continent have made it to the ‘Climate 100’ list.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png UN Climate Change summarises the outcomes of Africa Climate Week.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.pngCyclone Idai shows the deadly reality of climate change in Africa’, according to The Guardian.


Peace and security

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png Al Jazeera on why justice is the key ingredient for sustainable peace in the Central African Republic.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png There are worrying signs that the Central African Republic peace deal is beginning to fray, says Lewis Mudge in an article for the Mail & Guardian.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png In an article for The New Humanitarian, journalist Ruairi Casey looks at the talks on the future of Western Sahara and at what’s at stake.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png Local institutions can mitigate climate-related conflict in the Sahel, argues Brookings’ Ahmadou Aly Mbaye.


Gender

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png A study commissioned by the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets finds that overall and consistent commitment to gender equality in the EU budget and the budgetary process is still absent.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png ODI argues that a recent proposal to introduce a gender module in the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability framework has at least three significant limitations, particularly for low-income and fragile states.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png The International Institute for Sustainable Development and the State of Sustainability Initiatives explain how voluntary sustainability standards can be used as a tool to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets on gender equality and women’s empowerment in agriculture.


Migration

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png Brookings reports on the continuing tragedy of migrants in Libya.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png More must be done to promote peaceful migration and harmonise labour migration policies in Africa, argues Linus Unah in an article for African Business.


Brexit

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png The European Parliamentary Research Service helps understand Brexit’s withdrawal agreement and political declaration.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png In an article for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Norbert Röttgen and Ulrich Speck discuss ‘the flawed logic of Brexit in an age of great-power competition’.


Other

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png Last week, EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific representatives talked reinforcing the ACP-EU partnership in areas such as education and climate action [in French].

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png In an article for the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Rina Bassist analyses Morocco's motivations for joining the African Union, and the evolution of its regional policy.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png The United Nations World Water Development Report 2019 highlights the relevance of access to clean water as the basis for reaching the SDGs.

58239fd1-0d8c-413c-8f2a-c2f72cf5dab5.png According to the SDG Knowledge Hub, the UN and governments finalised the final draft of the funding compact for the SDGs.
 

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