Human Rights Due Diligence in Supply Chains

Organized by Labour Solutions ILO estimated that there are still 50 million people are in conditions that can be described as modern day slavery, and over 86% of those cases happen in the private sector (ILO, 2022). In the past few years, there are more and more human right due diligence regulations around supply chain being introduced. These regulations usually refer various processes of identifying, preventing, mitigating and accounting for how a business addresses its impacts on human rights. However, implementing HRDD in the supply chain can be challenging due to complex supply chain dynamics, diverse stakeholders, and traditional methods can be highly resource intensive. This complexity can be further compounded by differences in legal frameworks and cultural norms across different regions and countries. ​ About the session The session is a discussion among the four key stakeholders in ensuring the HRDD in supply chains; buyers, the factories, civil service organizations and private sector players that support tools & services to supply chain. ​To minimize human right violations within the supply chain, the first step is for the stakeholders to understand their individual roles within this endeavour. Buyers should ensure that their policies and practices are in line with human rights and environmental standards. Factories, on the other hand, should implement policies and practices that promote human rights and environmental protection in their operations. Civil service organizations and private sector players support and empower buyers and factories to achieve this. The next step is how can buyers and factories can concrete steps towards achieving this goal. As mentioned above, human rights issues in supply chain are complex, contextual, and complicated. In this session, the panelists will discuss about the sustainable & systematic solutions of a supplier centric approach. This approach focuses on giving the right tools to the suppliers and increasing their capacity to improve workplace conditions with human rights standards. Contrast to auditing, compliance check and regulatory focused approach that is predominant in supply chain these days. By working closely with suppliers, brands can identify and address human rights risks before they become major issues. This approach also helps to build trust between suppliers and brand which can lead to more effective collaboration and better business outcomes.