The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act represents significant progress but faces several challenges. | Foto: Arno Senoner via Unsplash

A Gap between Social and Ecological Rights: A Commentary after One Year of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act

Frequent violations of human, labor, and environmental rights continue to impact supply chains globally, with notable prevalence in the Global South, but also in the Global North. The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (SCDDA, in German: Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz [LkSG]), enacted in 2023, represents significant progress in upholding rights within the context of socio-ecological transformation across value chains. However, the law faces challenges, particularly in terms of its prospective enforcement and the absence of a cohesive link between social and ecological rights. This article provides a commentary and argues that addressing these issues should be a priority.

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Benjamin Netanjahu and Olaf Scholz attend a memorial event commemorating deportation of Jews
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attend a memorial event commemorating deportation of Jews during World War II at the Plattform 17 Memorial at Grunewald railway station in Berlin, Germany, 16 March 2023. | Photo: © picture alliance / EPA | Filip Singer.

Outlook on German-Israeli Relations: German Staatsraison and Netanyahu‘s Coalition Contentious ‚Judicial Reform‘

The current Spotlight explores different interpretations of Germany’s Staatsraison – or raison d’état – which emphasize Germany’s commitment to defending Israel’s national security. This component has played a crucial role in German-Israeli relations to date. The recent attempts (January–June 2023) by Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government to overhaul the Supreme Court have left Israeli society facing extreme tension and have shaken the country’s sense of national unity. Since 1965 and especially in the post Cold War period, German Staatsraison has meant defending Israel’s security – but with the assault on Israel’s democracy, can it continue with the same purpose in the future? This Spotlight discusses how this development might impact German-Israeli relations.

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