31. 10. 2023.

In a public debate entitled "German law on due diligence in the supply chain - importance for human rights in Serbia" which was held on October 31, 2023 in the Assembly Hall of the City of Niš, the Agency Director participated as one of the panelists and talked about the possibilities for protection rights of employees before the Agency.

Dr Boban Džunić, chairperson of the Assembly of the City of Niš, Sanela Bakhtijarević from the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ), Tanja Lindel from the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Aleksandar Todić from the Nezavisnost (Independence) United Branch Trade Unions (UHS Nezavisnost), Danijel Dašić from the National Coalition for Decentralization, and Nataša Vučković from the Center for Democracy Foundation, as well as representatives of the business sector, trade unions, public institution, civil society organizations, academic community, media, etc. participated in the discussions.

Public debate encourages open and constructive dialogue among relevant actors in order to share opinions and experiences; responsible business practices are promoted together with raising awareness and knowledge about pertinent regulations.

The German law on due diligence in the supply chain came into force in January 2023, while the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is still being discussed in the European Union. The law stipulates that the German companies require that their direct and indirect suppliers to apply a series of regulations and standards aimed at the protection human rights and environment, including the setup of appeals mechanisms. In the area of appeals mechanisms for the protection of workers’ rights, arbitration and conciliation before the Agency represent a very efficient external mechanism.

The debate was organized within a project that is a part of the "Initiative for Global Solidarity" implemented by the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit).