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11 July 2013

New guide outlines methods to prevent human rights abuses in global supply chains

The Norwegian Government has prepared a guide to ensuring human rights are respected within supply chains, providing practical information for enterprises on avoiding rights violations, and rectifying situations in which rights have been contravened. Titled "A Guide to Human Rights Due Diligence in Global Supply Chains" and aimed at organisations of all sizes, it sets out a clear method to ensure rights our respected.

Organisations, states the guide, should evaluate their activities and operations in relation to human rights by carrying out a due diligence process. This process should seek to reduce and avoid direct or indirect violations of human rights. To achieve this, enterprises must collaborate with stakeholders on improvements, measure, report and communicate their human rights efforts, and integrate human rights due diligence into their core business principles.

Adapting purchasing practices may also be necessary in some cases. The guide includes examples from Norwegian companies and outlines a number of tools which can be used to support the due diligence process. The guide is currently only available in English but will be translated into Norwegian by August 2013.

For more information, click here.