►Full Reference: Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Conseil national des Barreaux (CNB), Compliance, vigilance et médiation (Compliance, Vigilance and Mediation), November 30, 2023, Amphithéâtre du Conseil national des barreaux.
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►The symposium is organised by the Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and the Conseil national des barreaux (CNB).
► Presentation of the theme: To increase respect for human rights and the environment in the context of corporate social responsibility and compliance, public authorities and companies have for several years been implementing instruments and processes for dialogue between companies on the one hand and stakeholders inside and outside the company on the other. Among these, mediation is regularly highlighted as a necessary and fruitful process for reaching agreements that benefit employees and civil society players, as well as the environment and society as a whole.
John Ruggie, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, in his report of 21 March 2011, Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, recommends mediation as an effective and appropriate non-judicial grievance mechanism. The ISO 26000 standard on social responsibility also explicitly refers to the use of mediation in the section Actions and related expectations (6.3.2.6) and say that an organisation should establish or ensure the availability of redress mechanisms for its own use and for that of its stakeholders. For these mechanisms to be effective, they should be [...] based on dialogue and mediation: the process should aim to remedy breaches through mutually agreed solutions reached through dialogue between the parties. Where a judgment is desirable, the parties should retain the right to reach it through separate, independent mechanisms.
Similarly, the French law No. 2017-399 of 21 March 2017 relative au devoir de vigilance des sociétés mères et des entreprises donneuses d’ordre (on the duty of vigilance of parent companies and ordering companies) has given rise to disputes relating to the design and application of vigilance plans by certain companies subject to this law. Mediation has been proposed by the courts, sometimes accepted, and we know that some have been successful.
At the same time, the draft European Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CS3D) is likely to impose or extend obligations relating to the duty of vigilance on a large number of companies in the European Union, for the respect of human rights and the environment by companies in global value chains.
The result of all this is that respect for human rights within organisations and companies depends on recourse to the courts, on cooperation processes such as mediation, both project mediation and mediation specific to the resolution of disputes, while recourse to the courts will not suffice to rapidly make respect for these obligations effective.
The legislator and the parties concerned are aware of this, and they refer to the use of mediation as necessary to help both civil society actors committed to respect for human rights and the environment and companies to reach agreements on compliance with these obligations.
Lawyers, mediators and people assisting stakeholders and companies have an important role to play in the success of these mediations.
In collaboration with the Journal of Regulation and Compliance (JoRC), the Conseil national des barreaux (CNB) is organising a half-day conference on "Compliance, vigilance et médiation" ("Compliance, Vigilance and Mediation") to train lawyers to this activity, which will develop either as an extension of another activity or as its own activity, and which has major implications for individual rights, society and the environment.
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►Construction of the symposium: After a general introduction to the triptych of Compliance, Vigilance and Mediation and the links that it implies, the first part of the event will focus on the contribution of Mediation to the effectiveness of Compliance and, more particularly, to its most advanced aspect, the duty of vigilance. After a debate on this topic, the second part of the event will focus on the conduct of project mediation or dispute resolution in such a context. A conclusion will enable us to draw immediate lessons from the information and exchanges that have taken place.
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Speakers:
🎤Matthieu Boissavy, attorney at the Paris Bar, vice-president of the CommissionLiberté et droits de l'homme of the CNB
The European Commission published on April 11, 2012, a follow-up and summary report of on the application of the third directive "Anti-Money Laundering " which gives a community value to on international standards adopted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This is to protect the financial system against the money laundering. The report assesses the effectiveness of the application of the directive and points out the need for change. The Commission requests that the standards for the detection of risk of money laundering are better targeted and oriented in the gambling sector. It also suggests that tax offences be regarded as offences of money laundering. As individuals, the report requires to banks and other professionals to increase their due diligences requirements. It also covers the "persons politically exposed", that is - to say those may be corrupt. The report finally requests a special assessment on the application of the Directive to independent legal professionals, including lawyers, subject to the legal obligation to report .
Madame Christine Lagarde, the French Finance Minister, gives a speech at the inauguration of the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel (ACP – Prudential Control Authority), implemented by the Ordinance of 21 January 2010, in which she explains the philosophy behind the ACP’s activities. Stability and solidity of the international financial system and consumer protection are the ACP’s main responsabilities.
The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF- French Prudential Supervision Authority) set up a Scientific Advisory Board under the supervision of its president Gérard Rameix, who is also president of the AMF.
The Scientific Advisory Board chose ‘Financial education in the digital era’ as the theme of its annual conference, which was held on 20 June 2016 in partnership with Paris School of Economics.
The conference was opened by François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Banque de France (France’s central bank). He stated that financial literacy “shall help everyone make informed decisions”. In this regard, financial literacy is a “factor for economic efficiency and social fairness”, which justifies involvement from public authorities- including, namely, the Banque de France. In partnership with both the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR- French Prudential Supervision Authority) and the AMF, the Banque de France ought to be a “caring educator, but an attentive regulator”, as it is “imperative that financial literacy and Regulation should be taken forward jointly, as to allow for new technologies to develop, which would be understood by all and for the benefit of all”.
Three roundtables followed. The first roundtable aimed at assessing financial literacy trends and their impact on the financial behaviour of consumers and investors in Europe. The second session focused on the opportunities opened up by new technologies (upon which Fintechs, e.g., crowdfunding platforms, data aggregators and automated financial advice services are thriving) as regards financial behaviours. Lastly, the third panel discussion, which involved several French (AMF, Institut National de la Consommation- INC, French National Institute for Consumer Affairs) and European (European Commission) Regulators, draw conclusions from the first two roundtables and discussed on the issues that an increasingly digitalised financial education raises for Regulatory authorities.
Since this conference raises many crucial questions for Regulation, it is important to recall what has been said in the panel discussion on the role of Regulator with regards to financial education (I.) before sharing some thoughts on this matter of particular interest (II.).
Madame Christine Lagarde, the French Finance Minister, gives a speech at the inauguration of the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel (ACP – Prudential Control Authority), implemented by the Ordinance of 21 January 2010, in which she explains the philosophy behind the ACP’s activities. Stability and solidity of the international financial system and consumer protection are the ACP’s main responsabilities.
The implementation of a joint consumer information service on Insurance, Banking, and Insurance within the ‘Autorité de Contrôle prudential – ACP’ (French Prudential Control Authority), raises questions as to the way in which the service will be coordinated with the ACP’s other activities. The signature of the agreement creating the new joint service was the occasion for Christian Noyer, Governor of the Banque de France (Central Bank of France) and President of the ACP, to clarify that this joint service, whose principal goal is consumer protection, complements the ACP’s other missions.
Some says that defining Compliance is a theoretical and non useful exercice that should be left aside to tackle the study of concrete technical cases. However, to be able to use Compliance tools, it is first necessary to have a clear, firm and simple idea of what is Compliance. Moreover, the future of this new branch of law intensely depends on the definition we choose to use.
Compliance Law gives to some crucial private firms new responsibilities such as the one to fight against global dangers or the one of saving the planet. In this, Compliance Law can be perceived as a kind of new deal between the private sector and public authorities, with the only difference that this time the consent of the private sector is not required.
Some would say that the concretization of such projects is the duty of the State and that private firms, if they must respect the rules, do not have to find a way to concretize a "monumental goal". However, the world face new and systemic dangers in the face of which the State alone is powerless, technically or geographically, and against which crucial companies can act.
It is not about, as some advocate to put human being aside of Compliance Law by letting machines decide. It is about placing the human being and its protection at the heart of Compliance Law. In this, Compliance Law can become a new humanism.
The implementation of a joint consumer information service on Insurance, Banking, and Insurance within the ‘Autorité de Contrôle prudential – ACP’ (French Prudential Control Authority), raises questions as to the way in which the service will be coordinated with the ACP’s other activities. The signature of the agreement creating the new joint service was the occasion for Christian Noyer, Governor of the Banque de France (Central Bank of France) and President of the ACP, to clarify that this joint service, whose principal goal is consumer protection, complements the ACP’s other missions.
