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Ungp on Business and Human Rights in Belgium

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UNGP ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN BELGIUM. STATE-BASED JUDICIAL MECHANISMS AND STATE-BASED NON- JUDICIAL GRIEVANCE MECHANISMS, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE BARRIERS TO ACCESS TO REMEDY MEASURES. Fido Project MP-OO/FIDO/2016/5 Wouter Vandenhole (Project Director) Liliana Lizarazo Rodríguez (Author) 1 University of Antwerp Faculty of Law Law and Development Research Group 1 The author and the project director wish to thank the Working Group on CSR of the Interdepartmental Commission for Sustainable Development and the members of the Advisory Committee of this project (Koen De Feyter, Stephan Rutten and Luc Van Liedekerke) for all their valuable comments, and acknowledge also further inputs and written comments from Departement Werk en Sociale Economie and Departement Buitenlandse Zaken (Vlaanderen), FOD Werkgelegenheid, Arbeid en Sociaal Overleg/SPF Emploi, Travail et Concertation Sociale, and as well as from Stefanie De Somer (Universiteit Antwerpen). In addition, we thank Myria, the Center for Gender Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION: SETTING THE SCENE ........................................................................................ 4 1.1 THE RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT ............................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 FRAMEWORK: GUIDELINES ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ............................................................................................... 5 1.3 TRANSNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LITIGATION ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS................................................................. 8 1.4 THE SCOPE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN BELGIUM ............................................................................................................................. 9 2 FIRST PART: MAPPING JUDICIAL AND STATE NON-JUDICIAL MECHANISMS AVAILABLE FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OR FOR OTHER STAKEHOLDERS (NGOS, BUSINESS, ETC.) UNDER THE UNGP ............................................................................................................................ 11 2.1 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 11 2.1.1 Methodology and scope of the mapping exercise ............................................................................................ 11 2.1.2 The scope of the right to access to an effective remedy .............................................................................. 14 2.1.2.1 Legal aid and assistance mechanisms for victims ................................................................................. 15 2.1.2.2 Mechanisms for access to information ....................................................................................................... 16 2.1.2.3 Execution of judgments .................................................................................................................................. 18 2.2 NON-JUDICIAL AND JUDICIAL MECHANISMS THAT CAN BE USED IN BELGIUM AGAINST BUSINESSES AND/OR THE STATE ................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.2.1 Non-judicial mechanisms ......................................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.1.1 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) ........................................................................................................ 20 2.2.1.1.1 Conciliation before the competent judge ............................................................................................ 20 2.2.1.1.2 Mediation ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 2.2.1.1.3 Mediation by Ombudsmen ....................................................................................................................... 21 2.2.1.1.4 Mediation and/or investigation of Children’s Rights Ombudsmen ............................................. 22 2.2.1.1.5 Mediation of the National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines for MNEs ............. 22 2.2.1.1.6 Mediation and legal and administrative support against discrimination ................................. 23 2.2.1.1.7 Mediation by the Privacy Commission ................................................................................................. 24 2.2.1.1.8 ADR in Consumer Protection Claims .................................................................................................... 25 2.2.1.2 Administrative controls, sanctions and fines, and awards of compensation................................ 26 2.2.1.2.1 Administrative action against Trafficking Human Beings (THB)................................................. 26 2.2.1.2.2 Social Administrative measures ............................................................................................................. 28 2.2.1.2.3 Environmental protection mechanisms ............................................................................................... 29 2.2.1.3 Mechanisms to support responsive businesses: awards and (loss of) incentives ..................... 31 2.2.1.3.1 Sustainable public procurement ............................................................................................................ 31 2.2.1.3.2 Labels .............................................................................................................................................................. 33 2.2.1.3.3 Impact assessments................................................................................................................................... 34 2.2.1.3.4 Economic Incentives .................................................................................................................................. 35 2.2.2 Judicial mechanisms ................................................................................................................................................... 36 2.2.2.1 Courts of first instance .................................................................................................................................... 41 2.2.2.1.1 Civil claims ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 2.2.2.1.1.1 Civil tort disputes ............................................................................................................................... 41 2.2.2.1.1.2 Class Actions ........................................................................................................................................ 45 2.2.2.1.2 Criminal Claims ............................................................................................................................................ 45 2.2.2.1.3 Labour claims................................................................................................................................................ 48 2.2.2.2 Presiding judges of the courts: Interlocutory proceedings and injunctive relief ........................ 48 2.3 MECHANISMS ADDRESSED EXCLUSIVELY AGAINST THE STATE AS REGULATOR OR AS CONTROLLER (EXERCISE OF STATE AUTHORITY - ACTA IURE IMPERII) .......................................................................................................... 49 2.3.1 Non-Judicial Mechanisms.......................................................................................................................................... 49 2.3.1.1 European Level ................................................................................................................................................... 49 2.3.1.1.1 Council of Europe (CoE) ............................................................................................................................ 49 2.3.1.1.1.1 Monitoring mechanism of the Convention on THB ................................................................. 50 2.3.1.1.2 European Union............................................................................................................................................ 50 2.3.1.1.2.1 EU Commission (DG Environment) ............................................................................................. 51 2.3.1.1.2.2 European Ombudsman .................................................................................................................... 51 2.3.1.1.2.3 Eurojust ................................................................................................................................................. 52 2.3.1.1.2.4 European Investment Bank (EIB) Complaints Mechanism ................................................. 52 2.3.1.1.2.5 The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) .............................................................. 53 2.3.1.2 International level ............................................................................................................................................. 53 2.3.1.2.1 United Nations System .............................................................................................................................. 53 2.3.1.2.1.1 Inquiries or visits ..............................................................................................................................
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