Dominique de Buman
Former president of the National Council, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (FR)
Our initiative
The Responsible Business Initiative – make corporations respect human rights and environmental standards
A Glencore mine is contaminating an entire region in Peru, 27 miners died in a flagship mine of the Swiss gold industry, and the agrochemical company Syngenta is selling coffee produced under slave-like working conditions. Time and again, corporations based in Switzerland violate human rights and ignore minimum environmental standards. The Responsible Business Initiative (RBI) prevents corporations from continuing to violate human rights or destroy the environment.
The RBI is supported by a coalition of politicians from all major parties, Swiss entrepreneurs and more than 100 civil society organizations.
Here you can find the text of the initiative with brief explanations.
What is a popular initiative?
If Swiss citizens want to change the constitution, they can launch an initiative. For an initiative to come to fruition, it must be signed by 100,000 voters within 18 months. The initiative will then be put to a vote, unless the initiative committee withdraws it. If a majority of voters and a majority of the cantons vote in favour of the initiative, the Constitution will be amended. More background: ch.ch (Platform by the Swiss government)
The initiative committee
Kathrin Amacker
Former member of the National Council, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (BL) and president of Fairtrade Max Havelaar
Sylvie Arnanda
Head of Communications and Media for the Romandie region, Solidar Suisse
Aurélien Barakat
President of GLP [Green Liberal Party] Canton of Geneva (GE), Co-President Fédération Suisse des Entreprises (FSE) – Geneva Section
Raphaël Comte
Former president of the Council of States, FDP [Swiss Liberal party] (NE)
Gauthier Corbat
Co-executive director Groupe Corbat AG and Member of Parliament Canton of Jura, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (JU)
Anina Dalbert
Business and human rights lawyer, Public Eye
Beat Flach
Member of the National Council, GLP [Green Liberal Party] (AG)
Giorgio Fonio
Member of the National Council, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (TI)
Karolina Frischkopf
Director of HEKS (Swiss Church Aid)
Danièle Gosteli Hauser
Business and human rights officer, Amnesty International Switzerland
Lorenz Hess
Member of the National Council, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (BE)
Marc Jost
Member of the National Council, EVP [Swiss Evangelical party] (BE)
Thomas Künzli
Executive Director of Künzli Davos AG
Anna Leissing
Managing Director of Voices
Andreas Lustenberger
Member of the Executive Board, Caritas Switzerland
Samira Marti
Member of the National Council, SP [Swiss Social Democrats] (BL)
Lucrezia Meier-Schatz
Former Member of the National Council, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (SG) and President Foundation Forum of the Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund
Iris Menn
Managing Director of Greenpeace Switzerland
Maxime Moix
Member of the Grand Council of Valais, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (VS)
Stefan Müller-Altermatt
Member of the National Council, Die Mitte [Swiss Christian Democrats] (SO)
Matteo Quadranti
Parliamentary Group Leader (FDP) [Swiss Liberal party] and Member of the Grand Council of Ticino (TI)
Claude Ruey
Former Council of State, former Member of the National Council, FDP [Swiss Liberal party] (VD)
Franziska Ryser
Member of the National Council, Green Party (SG)
Ursula Schneider Schüttel
Former Member of the National Council, SP [Swiss Social Democrats] (FR) and President of Pro Natura
Sylvia Valentin
Advocacy und campaigning, Terre des Hommes Switzerland
Karl Vogler
Former Member of the National Council, CSP [Swiss Christian Democrats] (OW)
Will Switzerland soon be the only country in Europe without mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence or catch up?
The Swiss government (Federal Council) had repeatedly promised during the referendum campaign on the first Responsible Business Initiative (2020) to advocate for an “internationally coordinated” law and a “level playing field” for corporations in Switzerland and the EU. With a massive petition that we submitted in December 2022, we sought to put the issue back on the political agenda. However, since the Federal Council and Parliament continued to avoid addressing the issue by the end of 2024, we launched the new Responsible Business Initiative in 2025.
Without pressure from the public and civil society, the corporate lobby in Parliament will continue to block Switzerland from catching up on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence.