A/HRC/41/44/Add.1 pleased to learn that the Government had also appointed an Ambassador-at-Large for Corporate Social Responsibility. The creation of such a position demonstrates the country’s commitment to be a leader in sustainable business practice, to influence positively and globally the way companies work, and to have an impact on today’s society. Through bilateral relationships, the Ambassador intends to advocate for good corporate social responsibility policy in the countries where Swedish companies have partners and suppliers. The Independent Expert believes that the appointment by the Government of such a figure will reinforce the Government’s practice and model in this area. 22. The Independent Expert was also pleased to learn that local and national authorities required their business partners and suppliers to have good corporate social responsibility policies, especially in the areas of health care and transportation. For instance, since 2010, Swedish county councils, such as the Stockholm County Council, have been using human rights-based codes of conduct and human rights-related clauses in contracts with suppliers that may be at high risk for human rights violations, especially in the textile, surgical instruments and materials, information and telecommunications technology, pharmaceutical and food industries.16 23. The Independent Expert was informed that, in recent years, the scope of corporate social responsibility in Sweden had expanded and now encompassed other diverse aspects of business operations, such as corruption in supply chains and local environmental protection efforts.17 In 2015, the Government adopted communication 2015/16:69 defining its vision of corporate social responsibility. In the communication, the Government emphasizes the role of corporate social responsibility in different policy areas, including development cooperation. Designed along the lines of several international guidelines, among them the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework and the 2030 Agenda, the policy embraces respect for human rights, gender equality, decent working conditions, environmental considerations and anti-corruption efforts.18 24. Clear efforts have been made by the Government and by several Swedish-based civil society organizations, company employees, investors and funds (such as Swedfund) to persuade Swedish companies to implement the principles of corporate social responsibility and human rights in their work abroad, in accordance with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. However, it is important to emphasize that the conduct of human rights due diligence by Swedish companies when acting abroad should not be voluntary and that they should all work harder to integrate the Guiding Principles into their day-to-day operations, to ensure human rights-based international solidarity. Feminist foreign policy 25. The Government of Sweden is the first Government to formulate and pursue a feminist foreign policy, which it has done since 2014. A plan of action was defined for the period 2015–2018, guided by the a set of long-term objectives for women and girls: (a) the full enjoyment of human rights; (b) freedom from physical, psychological and sexual violence; (c) participation in preventing and resolving conflicts, and post-conflict peacebuilding; (d) political participation and influence in all areas of society; (e) economic rights and empowerment; and (f) sexual and reproductive health and rights. 19 The establishment of such objectives, allowing the mainstreaming of gender equality in all areas 15 16 17 18 19 See “Corporate social responsibility in Sweden”, available at https://sweden.se/business/csr-insweden/. See International Learning Lab on Public Procurement and Human Rights, “Swedish County Councils”; and Swedwatch, Agents for Change: How Public Procurers Can Influence Labour Conditions in Global Supply Chains – Case Studies from Brazil, Pakistan and Thailand (2016), pp. 16–19. “Corporate social responsibility in Sweden”. Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation, “The Swedish Government policy for corporate social responsibility”, fact sheet (May 2016), p. 1. Ministry for Foreign Affairs, “Swedish Foreign Service action plan for feminist foreign policy 2015– 2018, including indicative measures for 2018”. 7