The Road to an Effective Human Rights Due Diligence Program in the Supply Chain

Expectations from investors, business partners, non-governmental organizations and governments have never been higher for businesses to make meaningful progress towards ‘knowing and showing’ their respect for human rights. Corporate human rights due diligence is slowly becoming expected conduct for all types of businesses, regardless of the size or sectors. Government actors from around the world have attempted to create incentives, and on the flip side put legal action as a threat, for human rights due diligence through mandatory regulations and disclosure laws. These laws require businesses to report their policies and practices concerning the identification and mitigation of human rights impacts within their supply chains.

Proper management of the supply chain remains a key element that must be in place to mitigate risk and avoid related reputational, operational, business disruption and litigation costs. The pressing issues of today around management of working conditions, modern slavery, ethical behavior, environmental and sustainability efforts, coupled with vast global value chains and complex business partners from Tier 1 all the way down to sourcing of raw materials, can make this task feel overwhelming.

No matter where you are in this journey—whether you are just starting to understand your supply chain impacts, already have a supply chain management policies and strategies built into your corporate identity or exploring how to embed human rights due diligence—this paper will help inspire and clarify your next steps.