About the Workshop

Global supply chains remain associated with persistent sustainability challenges, ranging from deforestation and environmental degradation to forced labour, child labour and other human rights violations.

Over the past decade, governments have increasingly responded by moving from voluntary corporate commitments towards mandatory supply chain regulation. New instruments such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the EU Deforestation Regulation and national supply chain laws seek to hold companies accountable for environmental and human rights impacts beyond their own operations.

Yet this regulatory shift is taking place in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. Concerns over competitiveness, regulatory burden and economic security have generated growing political resistance, while governments and stakeholders in producing countries have questioned the legitimacy and distributive consequences of regulations designed primarily in Europe.

Aims and objectives

The main objectives of the workshop are twofold. The first objective is to present and compare the most recent empirical research on the political and implementation dynamics surrounding mandatory supply chain regulations across different regions and commodities. Recognizing the importance of cross-disciplinary understanding for effective scientific cooperation, the workshop seeks to integrate and systematize comparative academic knowledge that is currently fragmented and dispersed across disciplines and literatures. 
The second objective is to establish a strong interdisciplinary network of researchers at different career stages to foster and strengthen cross-national collaborative work. As a first output of this network, the workshop will lay the groundwork for a state-of-the-art review or commentary piece that synthesizes the current state of knowledge on this novel and rapidly emerging form of regulatory approach.

Themes and format

The workshop brings together scholars from regulatory governance, environmental governance, public policy, political science, business and human rights, development studies, sociology and law to examine how this new generation of supply chain regulation is evolving – and what effects it is producing across sectors and regions.

The three key themes that the workshop is organised around (and participants will be invited to speak to) are the following:

1. Legislative developments: Between institutionalisation and pushback
   How are mandatory supply chain regulations developed, contested, delayed, weakened or strengthened – and how do regulatory developments travel across jurisdictions?
2. Legitimacy: Across producing and consuming regions
   How are these regulations perceived by businesses, governments and civil society – and what makes supply chain regulation legitimate and equitable?
3. Implementation & outcomes: From rules to practice
   How are new regulations being implemented? What intended and unintended consequences are emerging, and how do different regulatory instruments interact?

The workshop is an in-person, three-day event held at the Congressi Stefano Franscini (CSF) conference center at Monte Verità. The workshop days will include early career researcher paper development sessions in which Early Career Researchers will present work in progress and receive dedicated feedback; keynote speeches by leading researchers; interactive, cross-disciplinary roundtables; group exchanges on lessons learned from ongoing research projects; and collective synthesis brainstorming.

In order to support network creation, there will be plenty of opportunities for informal exchange, including an excursion to the surroundings of the beautiful Ascona region, joint meals and evening activities. 

As this is a full three day workshop, participants are expected to arrive over the course of Sunday afternoon (a welcome drink and kick-off dinner is part of the workshop); departure is planned for Thursday after breakfast. Participants who are interested in enjoying more of Ticino are encouraged to use the preceding weekend or following week for tourism activities. 

Submissions will be evaluated based on the fit with the conference themes; expected contribution to the workshop (aiming for a range of disciplinary, geographical, sectoral, and topical expertise); and scientific quality. Applications for financial support will further be considered based on demonstrated financial need, and contribution to gender and geographical diversity. 

Who can apply?

Applications are open to researchers working on mandatory supply chain regulation and related questions across disciplines, sectors and geographical contexts.

We particularly welcome applications from researchers working in:

• regulatory and environmental governance
• public policy
• business and human rights
• development studies
• sociology
• law

Researchers at different career stages are welcome to apply. Applications from Early Career Researchers and scholars based in the Global South are particularly encouraged.

Participation costs and accommodation

Thanks to the generous support of the Centro Stefano Franscini, the University of Basel and the Swiss National Science Foundation, participation in the workshop is free of charge. This includes:

• a four-night stay at Monte Verità in a shared double room; and
• breakfast, lunch and dinner from Sunday evening to Thursday morning.

Selected participants will be able to indicate a preferred roommate once the participant list has been finalised. A limited number of single rooms will be available for an additional charge.

Participants are generally expected to cover their own travel expenses.

Confirmation and cancellations

To confirm their participation, selected applicants will be asked to accept their place by the specified deadline. Unconfirmed places will be offered to applicants on the waitlist. Selected participants should also inform the organising team as early as possible if their plans change, as accommodation and catering will be booked individually for each participant.

Travel bursaries

A limited number of travel bursaries will be available, with priority given to researchers based in the Global South and applicants with limited access to institutional funding. Travel bursaries will be awarded based on financial need and the available funding.

Selection process

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• their fit with the conference themes;
• the scientific quality of the proposed contribution; and
• their expected contribution to the workshop as a whole.

The selection process will aim to bring together a diverse group of participants in terms of disciplinary background, geographical perspective, sectoral expertise, career stage and research focus. Applications for travel support will additionally be assessed based on financial need.