Human Rights Due Diligence

Human rights due diligence (HRDD) is the ongoing process through which companies identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for how they address actual and potential adverse human rights impacts in their operations and value chains. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs, 2011) provide the foundational HRDD framework. In the EU, the CSDDD (Directive (EU) 2024/1760) mandates HRDD as a legal obligation for companies above defined thresholds. The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct (2018) provides operational guidance aligned with the UNGPs.

UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs, 2011); CSDDD (Directive (EU) 2024/1760), Article 7; OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct (2018).

HRDD is moving from voluntary to mandatory in the EU via the CSDDD. Manufacturers with complex global supply chains — particularly in sectors with high human rights risk (electronics, textiles, minerals, agriculture) — must map supply chains to identify HRDD risks, conduct root-cause analysis for identified risks, implement corrective action plans, and establish grievance mechanisms. The Omnibus I provisional agreement maintains the core HRDD framework but reduces the number of companies directly in scope.