There is a paradox at the heart of responsible business conduct right now. Companies are under more pressure than ever to know their value chains – to map risks, engage suppliers, and demonstrate that their operations do not cause or contribute to harm. At the same time, the organisations best placed to help them see those risks clearly are being defunded, restricted, and in some cases silenced.
A shrinking space for independent scrutiny
This is not a distant problem. Civil society is under severe attack and civic freedoms are being curtailed in a record number of countries. The adoption or proposal of restrictive laws and regulations is affecting civic freedoms in many countries. Sweden is not immune: civil society organisations here are also facing increased pressure and reduced funding.
For companies working seriously with due diligence under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises or the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, this matters enormously.
NGOs, independent researchers, trade unions, and community-based organisations are often the only ones able to document what is actually happening on the ground: worker experiences in supplier factories, environmental degradation in sourcing regions, or community impacts that never surface in audit reports. When those voices are weakened, the information gap in your due diligence system widens quietly, sometimes invisibly.
Threat or early warning system?
So how should companies think about this? As a threat, a source of reputational damage, unwanted media attention, or legal exposure? A critical NGO report feels uncomfortable. But ithe findings that feel most threatening are often the early warning signals that internal systems failed to catch.
Another response is to treat civil society as infrastructure, as part of the accountability ecosystem that makes meaningful due diligence possible at all. That means engaging critically when findings are disputed, but also recognising the role independent scrutiny plays in helping companies identify risks earlier, understand lived experiences, and respond before issues escalate.
A conversation we need to have
On 16 June, Enact is hosting a 45-minute webinar bringing together perspectives from Swedwatch and Ericsson to explore the relationship between civil society and corporate due diligence, at a moment when that relationship is under real strain.
Topics we will discuss
→ How NGOs contribute to visibility, accountability, and stronger due diligence – is their role critical or overstated?
→ How companies can approach critical findings – as media scandals or early warning systems?
→ What should be prioritised as civil society faces reduced funding and growing restrictions?
Join the webinar
Date: 16 June
Time: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM CET
Location: Online (Zoom)
The webinar is free and open to all.
We are looking forward to seeing you there !