Human rights due diligence
Human rights due diligence (HRDD) is a process undertaken in order for enterprises to identify, prevent, mitigate and account adverse effects on human rights.
RESOURCE
OHCHR, Human Rights Due Diligence for Digital Technology Use
Developed by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in consultation with UN entities and external stakeholders, the UN Secretary-General’s Guidance on Human Rights Due Diligence for Digital Technology Use has been developed to support all United Nations entities to implement and strengthen human rights due diligence (HRDD) policies, processes and practices for the use of digital technologies. The HRDD guidance also offers information about the UN’s HRDD approach to third parties, such as partner organisations, private sector partnerships (including donation, shared value and non-financial partnerships), suppliers and Member States. Further background on HRDD can be found here.
Conducting HRDD is important for credible and effective management of human rights risks to people, as well as management of reputational and operational risks.
HRDD for digital technology use should enable an entity to know and show how it is identifying, preventing, mitigating and addressing actual and potential adverse human rights impacts connected with its digital technology use. HRDD for digital technology use should always:
- Seek positive human rights outcomes for affected people.
- Be informed by efforts to identify and engage with stakeholders, including affected people.
- Be ongoing and dynamic.
- Be risk-based and context-sensitive.
- Be based on common standards, outlined below in the guidance.
- Apply a gender lens and principles of inclusion and intersectionality.
HRDD for Digital Technology Use: Five Key Components
A. Embed
Human rights risk management should be embedded within the entity to establish the foundations for effective HRDD for digital technology use. Embedding should progress concurrently with other components of HRDD. As a first step, the entity should decide which individual(s), team(s) or function(s) will play a role in designing and implementing HRDD for digital technology use and identify the lead(s) with overall responsibility for this work.
B. Identify and assess
Processes to identify and assess actual and potential human rights impacts should support the entity to make and implement a plan to address the adverse impacts with which the entity is (or may be) connected through its digital technology use across the full digital technology lifecycle and value chain.
C. Take action
An entity should take action that seeks to prevent, mitigate and, where applicable, appropriately redress the actual and potential adverse human rights impacts that it has identified. What constitutes an appropriate response will vary with how the entity is connected and the extent of its leverage to encourage others also to act (or refrain from acting).
D. Track
An entity should take steps to track both the implementation and effectiveness of its HRDD for digital technology use across the technology lifecycle.
E. Communicate
An entity should communicate clearly internally and externally about how it addresses adverse human rights impacts connected to its digital technology use. Communication does not necessarily require formal reporting — although an entity may choose to do this, including to affected stakeholders.