Civil Societies

Recent EU progress towards effective mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD) is still putting processes over outcomes. But the news is not all bad.

To counter increasing polarization, populism, inequality and authoritarianism, a new civil society approach to “political innovation” is supporting citizen-led innovations to revitalize democracy.

Many companies will resist new EU regulations making them legally accountable for their environmental and human rights impacts overseas, but others may actually welcome them.

Multi-stakeholder initiatives have failed to live up to their promise in providing effective regulation of global business. We need a new approach based on democracy and deliberation.

The number of social enterprises is growing but policy makers lack suitable data about how they operate and what influences their success. That needs to change.