On 30 March 2026, Manushya Foundation, together with members of the Global Initiative for Corporate Accountability (GICA), issued a solidarity letter to the drafters of Thailand’s mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (mHREDD) law, calling for an inclusive, transparent, and ambitious legislative process. The letter was addressed to the Rights and Liberties Protection Department of the Ministry of Justice, legislative drafters, the European Union Delegation to Thailand, and the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

 

If Thailand wants to position itself as a regional leader in business and human rights, this is the moment to prove it. That means centering affected communities, workers, human rights and labour rights defenders, and independent civil society throughout the drafting process, and ensuring that their participation meaningfully shapes the substance of the law. Consultation cannot be reduced to a closed-door process or a box-ticking exercise. 

 

The statement also makes clear that Thailand’s mHREDD law must go beyond prevention and mitigation alone. It must guarantee access to remedy and accountability when harm occurs, including through clear corporate liability provisions, access to justice for affected individuals and communities, and mechanisms for remediation where companies have caused or contributed to harm. Without these elements, due diligence risks becoming a procedural shield for abuse rather than a meaningful tool for protecting rights and the environment.

 

The letter was signed by:

• Above Ground (Canada)

• African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA)

• Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA)

• Corporate Justice Coalition (United Kingdom)

• European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ)

• Human Rights and Business Institute (HOMA) (Brazil)

• Human Rights Law Centre (Australia)

• International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) (United States)

• Korean Transnational Corporations Watch (KTNC Watch) (South Korea)

• Manushya Foundation (Thailand)

• Partners in Change (South Asia)

• Project on Organization, Development, Education and Research (PODER) (Mexico)