NGOs Germanwatch and Misereor have highlighted numerous instances of human rights abuses by German companies operating abroad. In a joint publication released on Wednesday, June 21, the NGOs documented over 10 cases where large German companies are accused of breaching international human rights standards. One third of the abuse allegations concern energy and raw materials businesses. Pirmin Spiegel, the head of Misereor, said that "there are still no sufficient statutory regulations in place so that human rights are respected in each case, from the beginning."