Belgrade | March 21^st , 2023

The Organization for European Security and Cooperation (OSCE), together with the German Helpdesk for Business and Human Rights, and in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, organized a Business Round Table on March 21^st  in Belgrade on the topic "Social and environmental sustainability in supply chains".

At this event, emphasis was placed on the role of the private sector in Serbia in solving sustainability issues in the context of global supply chains. Participants received an overview of current global, political, and regulatory developments related to human rights due diligence and its implication for the production of goods and services on the European market.

Since January 2023, about 30 countries have translated the UNGPs into National Action Plans (NAPs). In addition, more and more countries have adopted human rights due diligence laws (e.g. Germany, France, or Norway), import bans (US, Canada), or non-financial reporting requirements (e.g. UK, Australia). Therefore, in addition to reviewing the political and legal developments on this topic, the participants of the Business Roundtable had the opportunity to exchange examples of good practice, as well as to learn from each other.

During this event, we presented a new service of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Responsible Business Hub, a service center where companies that are part of German or global supply chains or plan to become one, will receive all important information about the application of the new Law on due diligence in supply chains.

The event brought together Serbian companies from various sectors (e.g. automotive, mechanical, renewable energy, textiles, chemicals, manufacturing), buyer companies from key export markets, and experts in social and environmental sustainability: International organizations (e.g. OSCE, ILO), The German Embassy in Serbia, implementing agencies (e.g. GIZ, German Business, and Human Rights Assistance Service), as well as the German Chamber of Commerce (AHK)/ Business Scout for Development.