Il est difficile de tenir les grandes entreprises responsables de leurs atteintes aux droits humains, et nombreuses sont les victimes qui n’obtiennent jamais justice: tel est le constat dressé dans un nouveau rapport de l’Agence des droits fondamentaux de l’Union européenne (FRA). Cette situation s’explique par la complexité des grandes multinationales qui sont présentes dans différents pays et disposent de tout un réseau de filiales et de chaînes d’approvisionnement. Le rapport recense les obstacles d’ordre pratique, procédural et financier dont l’UE et ses États membres devraient venir à bout pour que les victimes de ces violations soient assurées d’avoir accès à des recours effectifs.

• DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

« La balance de la justice penche plus souvent en faveur des grandes entreprises que des victimes. Toutefois, les entreprises, grandes ou petites, doivent être tenues responsables de leurs actes, quel que soit le lieu où ils se produisent. Aujourd’hui, à l’ère de la mondialisation, de tels actes peuvent affecter les droits fondamentaux d’une personne vivant à l’autre bout du monde », déclare Michael O’Flaherty, directeur de la FRA. « L’UE et ses États membres doivent instaurer des conditions équitables pour que les victimes puissent demander et obtenir justice selon des modalités simples et efficaces pour toute atteinte portée à leurs droits. »

Il apparaît dans le rapport intitulé « Business and human rights – access to remedy » [Monde des affaires et droits humains – voies de recours] que les victimes se heurtent à des difficultés pour demander que justice soit faite, que ce soit devant les tribunaux ou par le biais d’autres solutions extrajudiciaires.

A visually impaired Westminster man did not have the help he needed for 14 months after the city council reduced his support package, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found.

The man, who also has physical health problems, had his support package cut by Westminster City Council after he left hospital in September 2018.

With the help of a representative from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) he complained to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman’s investigation criticised the council for not including the man’s identified need for support to access the community in his care plan.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“The man in this case had an identified support need and so had a legal right to have that provided by Westminster City Council.

“He should have been given help to get out and access services. He said he would have gone on regular assisted walks, which helped with his physical and mental health needs, but he was denied this for more than a year.

“I’m pleased the council has agreed to my recommendations to put things right, and hope the review I have asked them to make of other visually impaired people’s cases will ensure no other people will be similarly affected in future.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s role is to remedy injustice and share learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the man and pay him £2,000 to be offset against any outstanding care charges he owes the council.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to review all cases of visually impaired adults receiving adult social care funding to ensure that where they have an eligible unmet need for support to access the community, that there is provision in their personal budget and care and support plan to meet that need. It will also remind staff to check there is funding in a person’s care and support plan to meet each identified unmet eligible need.

Article date: 22 October 2020

).  Media enquiries can be made by email or via our online form.