On 12 December 2017, Belgium officially presented its National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights. In this opinion, the Advisory Council on Policy Coherence for Development identifies strengthening human rights due diligence of businesses as one area where the NAP could be improved, and where Belgium could further demonstrate its commitment towards the global business and human rights agenda. Four recommendations to the Belgian state are further developed in the opinion :

(1) Legally anchor territorial as well as extraterritorial human rights due diligence requirements across all business sectors for all (small, medium and large) companies under Belgian jurisdiction;

(2) Impose on the largest companies duties to seek information proactively about the human rights risks in their supply chains, and to take action on the basis of the information received;

(3) Ensure that Belgian enterprises operating in high-risk sectors with relation to adverse extraterritorial impacts on human rights join sectoral initiatives developed in other EU Member States;

(4) Engage in a meaningful stakeholder dialogue with Belgian businesses already engaged in human rights due diligence, relevant civil society organisations and other appropriate stakeholders towards development (and monitoring) of measures being put into place.