Caste discrimination and EU trade
Globalisation and market developments have diverse implications for caste-affected communities. These communities constitute the largest single group in South Asia subjected to forced and bonded labour and other forms of gross exploitation in the labour market.
Exploitation and human rights violations in the labour market do not appear to be diminishing in spite of the contemporary focus on corporate social responsibility, increasing international investment, and the growing number of agreements on economic and trade relations also between the EU and caste-affected countries.
The EU Member States like other states have a duty to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, while companies themselves also have the responsibility to respect human rights. The European Union has an important role in realising this Member States’ duty as well as to ensure that companies live up to this responsibility. This duty also links up with trade and investments, an area in which the Member States have given important powers to the European Commission and the European Council.
The European Parliament has expressed its particular concern in relation to the situation of the Dalits in relation to trade between EU and caste-affected countries, including in its resolution on the Human Rights Situation of Dalits in India.
Promote elimination of caste discrimination in the corporate sector
IDSN recommends that European Commission delegations in caste-affected countries encourage reservations and affirmative action policies of EU-based companies in their interaction with caste-affected countries and promote the use of the Ambedkar Principles and the Dalit Discrimination Check tool – a tool developed to assist companies in ensuring compliance with human rights obligations and non-discrimination in their operations and cooperation with caste-affected countries.
> Read more on Corporate Social Responsibility
> Dalit Discrimination Check for Companies
