Blog article: Banks and Human Rights – the Thun Group Discussion Paper

22. January 2014

Andreas Missbach, Head of the Commodities, Trade and Finance Department of the Berne Declaration, wrote an article on rightingfinance.org concerning the Discussion Paper published by the Thun Group last fall.

The Thun Group was formed when a group of banks came together in May 2011 in Thun, Switzerland, to discuss what the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) may mean for the banking sector. In October 2013 the group issued a discussion paper supported by seven international banks. Although no consultation of civil society has taken place and although the two-year process that led to the Thun group discussion paper seemed to constitute a “managing down” of expectations BankTrack welcomed the Thun Group’s paper as an important step. 

Press Release October 2, 2013 (German): Thun Group: Banken anerkennen endlich Relevanz der Menschenrechte für ihr Kerngeschäft

Press Release October 2, 2013 (French): « Groupe de Thoune » : les banques reconnaissent enfin l’importance du respect des droits humains dans leurs activités