Danish Action Plan – Implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The purpose of this National Action Plan on the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) is to summarize the dedicated initiatives on business and human rights which have and will be taken by the Danish Government since the UN endorsement of the UNGPs. The Action Plan is structured around the three pillars of the UNGPs and sets out for each pillar: 1) a short summary of the principle; 2) recommendations from the Danish Council for Corporate Social Responsibility; 3) initiatives which have been implemented by the Danish Government, and 4) initiatives which are planned. The annex in the end of the publication includes a schematic overview of the Danish implementation of the UNGPs principle by principle.
As regards pillar one – the state duty to protect human rights – planned actions include: to further engage in the issue of extraterritorial legislation; promote corporate social responsibility in the public sector; and increasing the use of labour and social clauses in public contracts. As regards pillar two – the corporate responsibility to respect human rights – actions taken include supporting international guidelines on corporate social responsibility; laying down a numner of expectations that companies are expected to follow, especially in the National Action Plan for Corporate Social Responsibility; evaluating corporate social responsibility in large and listed Danish companies; and awarding the best corporate social resopnsibility report both for large companies and SMEs. Finally, as regards the third pillar – access to remedy – actions taken include constantly reviewing the provisions laid down in the Danish Administration of Justice Act in order to fulfill international obligations and to ensure that the provisions are adequately applied; and the establishment of a Mediation and Complaints-Handling Institution for Responsible Business Conduct.