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Identifying Human Rights Risks in Suppliers Before Contracting

  • Writer: Gloria Ribeiro
    Gloria Ribeiro
  • 5 days ago
  • 1 min read

Most supply-chain human rights problems are already visible before a contract is signed. They sit in the country context the sector labour model and the way recruitment and subcontracting actually work, yet pre-contract due diligence is still treated as a paperwork exercise.


We have just finalised a short practical guide on identifying human rights risks in suppliers before contracting, grounded in research and aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The basic rule is not complicated: high-risk country + high-risk sector = increased scrutiny. What matters is not whether a supplier has policies, but whether their answers, workforce structure, and labour chain make sense together. Scenario questions, proportional checks, and conditional contracting do more to prevent harm than any generic audit.


Pre-contract assessment is where leverage is highest. If it is missed, everything that follows is damage control.


Full guidance is available in the document attached.



 
 
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