Developing a human rights due diligence process

We worked with a major consumer goods company to develop a human rights due diligence process for direct and indirect suppliers via a tailored human rights risk assessment tool.

• Challenge

  The client wanted to adopt a comprehensive human rights due diligence process covering its direct and indirect suppliers in all countries of operation. However, given the extent of its global supply chains, the client needed a solution to systematically assess its suppliers and prioritise which ones it needed to engage and audit.

• Solution

  We developed a human rights risk assessment tool to help the client manage a three-stage due diligence process including: (1) inherent risk assessment of all suppliers; (2) self-assessment questionnaires for suppliers identified as high risk at stage 1; (3) audits and supplier engagement for suppliers identified as high risk at stage 2.

• Outcome

  The risk assessment tool is now a central feature of the client’s human rights due diligence process. The tool allows the client to identify and prioritise risk, and to target its engagement to improve the human rights policies and practices of those suppliers identified as high risk.