Organisations can use human rights due diligence (HRDD) as a risk management technique. It is the procedure that organisations should use to recognize, stop, lessen, and account for current and possible negative effects on human rights in their own operations, supply chains, and other commercial interactions. International standards that will be covered and outlined in this product include HRDD.
While Human Rights Due Diligence as a whole is not now a requirement for organisations, several of its components are already included in legally obligatory frameworks. When requesting that organisations abide by well-established legal rules in matters pertaining to human rights, such as labour rights, consumer and environmental protection, or the fight against corruption, governments apply due diligence.
The procedure that businesses should use to address real and prospective negative repercussions on their own operations, in their supply chain, and with their partners is known as due diligence. The main goal of HRDD is prevention; organisations should place a high priority on exercising due diligence to prevent having a negative impact on human rights that affects individuals, the environment, and society.
HRDD is applicable to all organisations, but the complexity will vary depending on the organisation's size, the likelihood and severity of existing or future human rights impacts, and the activities' context and nature. For instance, in (post-) conflict or fragile environments, extra caution is required.
The following are the six necessary elements for organisations to uphold their obligation to respect human rights:
1. An official promise to uphold their obligation to respect human rights.
2. Evaluate the existing and potential effects on human rights
3. incorporate and use the results
4. Keep tabs on the effects that are found, avoided, and dealt with
5. Explain how the organisation is addressing the impacts.
6. Procedures to make sure that any negative effects on human rights that the organisation produces or to which it contributes are remedied.
Human rights risks are the detrimental effects that a company's activities, services, or products have on diverse groups' human rights. In this context, direct employees are always a relevant category. Communities that surround the facility, employees of other organisations involved in its value chain, customers of its goods or services, etc. are all potential additional stakeholders that could be impacted. Organisations should pay close attention to the rights of marginalised or disadvantaged people throughout this process.
Organisations should, when appropriate, prioritise the most significant risks and impacts based on their severity and likelihood after all human rights issues have been identified. When it is impossible to instantly address all potential and actual negative effects, prioritisation will be important. The organisation should start with the most serious risks and repercussions and address them before moving on to the less significant ones.
Jack Ade the author of this Article. To know more about Human Rights Due Diligence please visit the website.
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