Between July 2021 and June 2024, Sherpa, RSE BÉNIN, RSE et Développement, RSE et Développement Togo, and the NGO La Lumière (Senegal) implemented the project "Developing the capacities of civil society in Benin, Togo, and Senegal to ensure that companies respect human rights and environmental law, and to enable the implementation of more protective public policies," known as the Vigilance project. The project aimed to promote and sustainably implement practices that respect human and environmental rights by companies in Benin, Senegal, and Togo, with the ultimate goal of changing national legal frameworks. It was based on the sharing of experience, knowledge, and skills between civil society organizations (CSOs) with the aim of strengthening the capacity of CSOs in Benin, Senegal, and Togo to advocate for policies, standards, and regulations that better protect human rights and the environment in the context of economic activities.
Under the coordination of RSE BÉNIN, RSE et Développement Togo, and the NGO La Lumière (Senegal), a total of 30 CSOs were involved in different stages of the project: to receive training and establish national CSO networks, to involve the media in documenting and disseminating information on human rights and environmental violations by companies, to conduct advocacy activities with institutional actors, and finally, to raise awareness among communities affected by economic activities.
This overview focuses primarily on multinational companies, their subsidiaries, and their subcontractors. This is partly because these entities are more likely to cause serious harm to human rights and the environment, and partly because they are subject to specific international soft law or hard law standards. However, most of the standards presented in this overview also apply to companies of all sizes governed by Beninese, Senegalese, or Togolese law.
Discover the entire document via the link below.
https://www.asso-sherpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Sherpa_Rapport_Senegal_Benin_Togo_06_2024.pdf
