Swiss vote on making firms liable for rights abuse

Swiss voters decide on Sunday on a law that would make Swiss businesses financially and legally liable for human rights violations or environmental damage.

The law would affect their supply chains anywhere in the world.

Switzerland may be a small country, but its business reach is long.

Companies such as Nestlé, Syngenta, Glencore or Novartis source products all over the world and Switzerland is a world centre for commodity trading.

A third of all commodities consumed worldwide are traded by companies based in Switzerland.