After the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is before the UN Treaty

The European Union (EU) is on the verge of introducing an EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). An agreement among the EU institutions involved is to be reached by the end of 2023. This also brings the EU’s active participation in negotiations at the United Nations (UN) level on an international legally binding instrument on business and human rights, also known as a “UN treaty,” ever closer. After all, it is in the EU’s interest that high standards apply not only to EU-based companies and that a level playing field is created worldwide. What role has the EU played in the UN treaty process so far?What is the process leading to an EU negotiating mandate, and what could such a mandate look like?