Swedwatch´s annual report – highlighs for 2022

The responsibility of companies to uphold human rights when sponsoring big sporting events, expectations on duty bearers to safeguard the right to a healthy environment and the role of business in sustaining peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, were among the topics researched by Swedwatch in 2022.

In Swedwatch´s annual report, Highlights 2022, Swedwatch presents some of its main activities and results during 2022 in relation to its long-term goals; responsible and equitable management and use of natural resources, sustainable and fair global supply chains and empowered rights holders and expanded civic space.

- During 2022 we saw how negative impact from companies and states continued; how climate change and environmental degradation had far reaching human rights impacts - especially on people already living in vulnerable situations, how global supply chains entailed a wide range of risks to human rights and the environment and how the repression against civil society actors and human rights and environmental defenders working to hold corporates to account escalated. This is very alarming and very worrying, says Alice Blondel, Director of Swedwatch.

With research as a base, Swedwatch continued under 2022 to build bridges across stakeholder groups globally, to provide guidance on best practice, and ensure that the rights and perspectives of rights holders are the driving forces behind change.

-The work Swedwatch is doing is needed now more than ever. Documenting and reporting on adverse impacts on human rights and the environment caused by harmful business operations is at the core of Swedwatch´s work and we will continue this work together with our partner organizations during 2023, focusing on community-driven and participatory research, says Alice Blondel.

Since 2003, Swedwatch have conducted research in over 40 countries and published over 100 reports uncovering human rights and environmental impacts of business operations in various sectors. In November 2023 Swedwatch will celebrate its 20^thanniversary.

More information to be found here:
Swedwatch´s activities and results – 2022 highlights - Swedwatch

FACTS
Swedwatch is an independent, non-profit research organisation striving to empower rights holders and to promote responsible business practices. Through research and dialogue, Swedwatch highlights the impacts on people and planet by unsustainable business operations, and builds bridges between stakeholders in order to affect change.

Swedwatch’s work is based on internationally recognised frameworks, as outlined in international human rights law, environmental laws and standards, international conventions and other voluntary standards such as the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

The organisation works with three cross-cutting perspectives that are mainstreamed throughout the organisation’s governance and operations:

• climate and environment
• conflict sensitivity and
• gender equality.