Nuage
Nuage

Discover Sherpa

Sherpa is an NGO founded in 2001. Sherpa brings together a team of lawyers and jurists who use the law as a tool to fight the impunity linked to the globalisation of economic and financial exchanges and to defend the victims of economic crimes.

In this capacity, Sherpa has lodged complaints against multinationals for serious human rights and environmental abuses in their international supply chains or for their involvement in international corruption cases.

Our legal actions underline our expertise and experience. Supported by innovative legal research and accompanied by capacity sharing activities that guarantee a lasting impact, these legal actions feed into our advocacy activities in a virtuous circle and considerably increase our impact

Download our bylaws (French)

Our history

Sherpa in 8 dates

A look back at Sherpa's 20th anniversary

Creation of Sherpa, a non-profit association.

Sherpa files a complaint against several African heads of state for handling misappropriation of public funds, landmark cases that pave the way for the restitution of corrupt assets to affected populations.

Highlighting the obstacles to regulating multinationals and putting forward innovative proposals to overcome them, Sherpa publishes the first Handbook for the regulation of transnational companies.

Sherpa takes part in the founding of the European Coalition for Corporate Justice alongside European civil society organisations working for corporate social and environmental accountability.

Sherpa, the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights and eleven former Syrian employees of Lafarge file a complaint against Lafarge, its Syrian subsidiary and its directors, leading to the indictment of the company for complicity in crimes against humanity, a world first.

Following a long campaign by Sherpa and its partners, the law on the duty of vigilance is adopted, a world first in the fight against the impunity of multinationals.

To improve the protection of whistleblowers, Sherpa and 16 other civil society organisations create the Maison des Lanceurs d'Alerte (House of whistleblowers).

To mark its 20th anniversary, Sherpa publishes a new version of its Handbook of proposals to regulate multinationals. This second edition takes stock of the recommendations put forward ten years ago in the light of the current legislative and political context.

Guiding principle

Our values

  • Expertise

    Sherpa draws its legitimacy from its legal expertise and its experience in legal action. The association relies on rigorous legal analysis. The various problematics are systematically approached from the legal and jurisdictional point of view, but also in relation to the political, social and economic analyses that enable us to better understand the power relationships and to act to change them.

  • Radicalism

    Sherpa intends to combat the root causes of corporate impunity. In particular, our NGO questions the legal concepts underlying the capitalist economy. Sherpa is aiming for systemic change in global economic relations.

  • Collective

    Sherpa systematically works in collaboration with other players whose experience, skills and expertise are complementary, in order to ensure the legitimacy of its actions and increase their impact. Sherpa works with the affected individuals and communities, legal practitioners, associations and trade unions in France and abroad, technical and scientific experts, and journalists and investigative specialists. It is involved in various networks of NGOs aligned with its principles and objectives.

  • Innovation

    To tackle the new challenges raised by globalisation, Sherpa relies on the "imaginative forces of law". We develop innovative legal concepts and strategies that can then be replicated by other actors or in other countries.

  • Transversality

    Sherpa takes a transversal view of the impunity of economic players, without compartmentalising business sectors, geographical areas, types of violation or legal areas. Its various activities and 4 modes of action are interdependent.

  • Independence

    The association's actions are disinterested. Its independence guarantees its freedom of action. We pay particular attention to the risk of conflicts of interest with companies or institutions and to the risk of commercialisation of association litigation. Sherpa respects the values of transparency and integrity.

Our impact

Our work fuels the efforts to a fairer world

Sherpa

Sherpa is a non-profit association under the French law of 1901. The NGO's bylaws provide a framework for its operations and missions. Faced with increasingly powerful economic players, we work towards a political and social model that is more respectful of human rights and the environment for workers, communities, and society as a whole.

Sherpa

Sherpa is a pioneer in its unique approach. We work across four key areas - advocacy, legal action, legal laboratory, capacity sharing - to put an end to the impunity linked to the globalisation of economic and financial exchanges and its consequences for human rights and the environment. Over 20 years ago, our NGO initiated this unprecedented cross-disciplinary approach which is underpinned by legal action and innovative litigation. Our strategy enables us to influence the definition of a globalised economy for a fairer world.

Sherpa

For more than 20 years, Sherpa has been tackling societal issues that are often ignored by political and economic players. Thanks to our experience, expertise and the work carried out by our partners, we are able to adapt our actions to legal and societal developments. While we can react quickly to human rights violations and environmental abuses, we are always committed to long-term systemic change through experimentation, research and analysis.

Towards justice across borders  Towards justice across borders  Towards justice across borders  

Alongside Sherpa

Our partners

Our partners, whether associations, trade unions or collectives, are not simply allies; they are at the heart of our history and our mission. They share our values, creating a powerful collaboration for a fairer world. Together, we are shaping change.

  • Advocates for Community Alternatives
  • ActionAid France
  • Amicale des Villages Riverains de la Plantation Socapalm
  • Amnesty International France
  • Anticor
  • Avocats Sans Frontières
  • Canopée
  • CCFD-Terre Solidaire
  • Center for Climate Crime Analysis
  • Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations
  • Cepeco
  • Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe
  • Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda
  • Collectif Ethique sur l’Etiquette
  • Collectif d’organisations de solidarité internationale et de mobilisation citoyenne
  • Coordination Sud
  • Coordination des Organisations Autochtones de l’Amazonie Brésilienne
  • Collectif On ne se taira pas
  • Collectif des Victimes des Pratiques Frauduleuses et Criminelles au Liban
  • Comité contre l’Esclavage Moderne
  • Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
  • Disclose
  • Envol Vert
  • Environmental Investigation Agency
  • Environmental Investigative Forum
  • European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights
  • European Coalition for Corporate Justice
  • Fédération des Peuples Autochtones du Mato Grosso
  • Fédération des Peuples Autochtones du Pará Fian-Belgium
  • Forêts et Développement Rural
  • Fondation Grain Forum Citoyen sur la RSE
  • France Nature Environnement
  • Greenpeace France
  • Harvest HEKS – EPER
  • Ibuka France
  • Info Birmanie
  • Informer n’est pas un délit
  • Institut Ouïghour d’Europe
  • Justice For Myanmar
  • Kirche Schweiz
  • L’Amicale des villages riverains de la plantation Socapalm EDEA
  • La Maison des Lanceurs d’Alerte
  • La Synergie Nationale des Paysans et Riverains du Cameroun
  • Les Amis de la Terre France
  • Les Eco-Maires
  • Les Mêmes Droits pour Tous
  • Mighty Earth
  • Mouvement UNIS
  • Mwatana for Human Rights
  • Notre Affaire à Tous
  • OECD Watch
  • ONG La Lumière
  • Organisation Nationale des Peuples Autochtones de l’Amazonie Colombienne
  • Petrol-Iş
  • Plateforme contre les Paradis Fiscaux et Judiciaires
  • ReAct Transnational
  • Reporters Brasil
  • Reporters sans frontières
  • Ressource Naturelle pour le développement
  • RSE Bénin
  • RSE et Développement France
  • RSE et Développement Togo
  • La Synergie Nationale des Paysans et Riverains du Cameroun
  • Transparency International France
  • Service National Justice et Paix
  • ZEA