Public Eye

Public Eye is a Swiss non-governmental organization focused on the social, environmental and human-rights consequences of Swiss economic activity and international globalization. It works independently of political parties and religious institutions and is primarily funded through donations and membership support. Its central concern is that Switzerland and companies based there should not derive economic advantages from exploitation, weak regulation or environmental damage in poorer countries. The organization began as Erklärung von Bern, or the Bern Declaration, in the late 1960s. Its origins lie in a manifesto concerning Switzerland and developing countries, drafted and supported by a group of Swiss theologians and subsequently signed by roughly one thousand people. The signatories criticized widening differences in prosperity between industrialized and poorer countries and committed themselves to supporting development cooperation. The declaration was submitted to the Swiss Federal Council on 6 January 1969. In 1971, the movement adopted a formal association structure. During the 1970s and subsequent decades, the organization developed from a development-justice movement into a broad research and advocacy group. It examined Switzerland's role in global trade, finance, commodity supply chains, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food systems and corporate accountability. Its work combined investigations, public education, consumer information, political lobbying and cooperation with civil-society organizations in other countries. The organization has supported stronger legal duties for companies, greater transparency in international business and policies that respect human rights, labor standards and ecological limits throughout corporate value chains. Public Eye has also participated in Swiss political debates. Historical activities included involvement in discussions around Switzerland's federal development-cooperation framework and opposition to Swiss accession to the International Monetary Fund in the early 1990s. More generally, it has urged Swiss authorities to align trade, financial and foreign policy with development and human-rights objectives rather than treating development assistance as separate from the effects of economic policy. A highly visible part of its public profile was the Public Eye Awards, organized with Greenpeace Switzerland as a counter-event to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. From 2000 through 2015, the event highlighted companies that the organizers considered emblematic of irresponsible business conduct. Beginning in 2005, the awards included public recognition for particularly objectionable corporate behavior, with nominations involving civil-society groups from many countries. The project helped establish the expression Public Eye as a recognizable public-facing identity. At its general assembly on 23 May 2016, the association approved the name Public Eye. The change was implemented in September of that year. The new name was intended to be more internationally accessible and to express the organization's emphasis on business, human rights, corporate responsibility and public scrutiny. Public Eye continues to publish research and information, campaign for regulatory change, engage with Swiss political institutions and encourage more sustainable and socially responsible consumption. It is an advocacy and knowledge organization rather than a commercial product company, and its principal offerings are investigations, reports, campaigns, policy proposals, educational materials and public events.

Public Eye traces its origins to the Bern Declaration, a Swiss initiative created in 1968 by people concerned about the widening economic divide between wealthy industrialized countries and poorer countries. A group of theologians prepared a manifesto on Switzerland's relationship with developing countries. Approximately one thousand people signed the resulting declaration and pledged, among other commitments, to devote part of their income to development cooperation. The manifesto was submitted to the Swiss Federal Council on 6 January 1969. The movement became a formal association in 1971. It was supported by donations and membership contributions and expanded substantially during the 1970s, reaching about 18,000 members by the end of that decade. Its early intellectual orientation emphasized the unequal economic relationships between developed and developing countries and the need to reduce structural dependency. The organization participated in debates surrounding Swiss development-cooperation legislation and later campaigned against Swiss accession to the International Monetary Fund during the 1992 referendum. Over time, the association broadened its focus beyond development cooperation. It investigated the effects of Swiss trade, finance and corporate activity on people and ecosystems abroad, while also addressing food and nutrition, pesticides, biotechnology, genetic engineering, pharmaceutical policy and consumer responsibility. Its methods included research, publications, information campaigns, political engagement and cooperation with organizations and grassroots movements in other countries. The Public Eye Awards became its best-known public project. Organized together with Greenpeace Switzerland, the awards operated from 2000 to 2015 as a counter-event to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. The initiative sought to provide a public counterpoint to the WEF's business and political gathering and to draw attention to corporate conduct that the organizers regarded as socially or environmentally harmful. From 2005, the awards included prizes focused on particularly irresponsible behavior, with nominations submitted by civil-society groups from numerous countries. The organization consolidated its regional branches into a single national organization at its 2012 general assembly. By 2016 it reported support from more than 25,000 members. At the general assembly held on 23 May 2016, members approved a change of name from Erklärung von Bern to Public Eye. The new name had already gained recognition through the Davos counter-event and was chosen to communicate the organization's international outlook and its emphasis on public scrutiny of business and human-rights issues. The renaming took effect in September 2016. Today, Public Eye presents itself as an independent Swiss NGO advocating sustainable and equitable economic relations. It calls for binding national and international rules requiring companies based in Switzerland to respect human rights, labor protections, environmental standards and other social responsibilities across their value chains. It also seeks to inform the Swiss public about the effects of corporate conduct and government policy, enabling more responsible political and purchasing decisions. Its work is delivered through investigations, reports, campaigns, policy advocacy, public education and networks with partner organizations.

• 2016

  Renamed Public Eye

  [1]Public Eye (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Members approved the new name Public Eye in May, and the change was implemented in September.

• 2012

  Regional branches consolidated

  [1]Public Eye (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  The association's regional branches were merged into one national organization at its annual general assembly.

• 1992

  Campaign against Swiss IMF accession

  [1]Public Eye (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  The organization participated in the referendum campaign opposing Switzerland's accession to the International Monetary Fund.

• 1971

  Association formally constituted

  [1]Public Eye (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  The movement adopted a formal association structure and continued to grow through donations and membership support.

• 1969

  Manifesto presented to the Swiss Federal Council

  [1]Public Eye (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  The Bern Declaration manifesto was formally presented to the Swiss Federal Council on 6 January.

• 1968

  Bern Declaration movement founded

  [1]Public Eye (organization)en.wikipedia.org

  Swiss theologians and supporters launched the initiative that became Erklärung von Bern, challenging global inequality and Switzerland's relationship with poorer countries.

Independent Swiss civil-society watchdog focused on the human-rights, environmental and development impacts of Swiss economic policy and corporate activity.

• Research publication

  Research and investigative reports

  Public Eye produces investigations and analytical publications on global justice, Swiss economic policy, corporate supply chains, labor conditions, environmental harm, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other issues affecting human rights and sustainable development. These publications are used to inform the public, support political advocacy and bring corporate practices into wider debate.

• Advocacy program

  Public campaigns

  The organization develops campaigns intended to influence Swiss policy and corporate behavior. Campaign themes include binding business duties, fairer economic relations, responsible consumption, environmental protection and respect for human and labor rights across international value chains.

• Public accountability event · 2000

  Public Eye Awards

  The Public Eye Awards were a high-profile counter-event to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. Organized with Greenpeace Switzerland, the awards publicized corporate practices that participating NGOs considered harmful or irresponsible. The project operated from 2000 through 2015 and helped make Public Eye a recognizable name.

• 2000Public Eye Awards

  Switzerland · International

  Public Eye and Greenpeace Switzerland created a counter-event in Davos during the World Economic Forum meeting. It sought to expose and debate corporate practices viewed by civil-society groups as socially or environmentally irresponsible.

  Outcome. The awards continued through 2015 and received nominations from NGOs in more than 50 countries, becoming the organization's most internationally visible project.

  Source
• 1968Bern Declaration for fairer development relations

  Switzerland · International

  The founding declaration challenged inequality between industrialized and poorer countries and called for Swiss engagement with development cooperation that would not reinforce dependency.

  Outcome. The initiative developed into Erklärung von Bern, the association that later became Public Eye.

  Source

• 2016

  Organization renamed Public EyeStrategy

  Background

  Erklärung von Bern had developed from a Swiss development-justice movement into an organization addressing global business conduct, human rights, environmental responsibility and public accountability.

  Action taken

  Members voted at the 23 May general assembly to adopt Public Eye as the organization's name. The change was put into effect in September.

  Aftermath

  The new identity provided a more internationally accessible label and connected the organization with its long-running Davos counter-event and its focus on business and human rights.

  Source

1. 1Public Eye (organization)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Public Eye official websitepubliceye.ch