Global expectations on corporate accountability are rising fast. New due diligence laws, investor scrutiny and litigation risk mean businesses and their legal advisors are at a turning point. As the global legal community gathers for this year’s International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference, a particularly timely and impactful session is set to draw significant attention: Making the Business Case: Corporate Accountability and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
From principles to practice
Fifteen years after the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), together with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, have become the foundation for responsible business conduct worldwide. Their influence can now be seen in an expanding network of national and regional regulations. Examples include the forthcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Germanys Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, Norway’s Transparency Act and Switzerland’s Ordinance on Due Diligence and Transparency.
Outside Europe, governments are also tightening expectations. The United States has introduced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which restricts imports linked to forced labour. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, have introduced modern slavery reporting laws that require companies to disclose the steps they are taking to identify and prevent human rights risks in their operations and supply chains. Together, these developments signal a global shift from voluntary commitments to mandatory accountability.
Although these frameworks differ in their design some requiring proactive due diligence, others focusing on disclosure or trade controls they are all built on the same foundation: the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Each one aims to translate the UNGPs corporate responsibility to respect human rights into practice through human rights due diligence (HRDD).
As global standards and regulation continue to evolve, customer and investor expectations are often advancing even faster, making human rights due diligence a commercial necessity as much as a legal one. This means legal practitioners, in-house counsel and corporate leadership are increasingly incorporating human rights due diligence (HRDD) into business strategy, recognising its role within legal, financial and reputational risk management.
The business case for Human Rights
The business case for implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) is supported by several key considerations:
- Risk mitigation: Proactively identifying and managing human rights risks across complex and varied operational environments before they escalate.
- Regulatory alignment: Ensuring that internal policies and processes are in line with existing and upcoming human rights due diligence regulations and prepare for evolving due diligence and transparency requirements.
- Investor expectations: Demonstrate credible oversight of social and governance risks.
- Crisis prevention: Establish early warning systems to prevent and respond to harm.
- Stakeholder trust: Strengthen relationships with communities, workers and customers.
Companies that integrate human rights into day-to-day decision-making not only meet their ethical responsibilities but also gain a strategic advantage, safeguarding their licence to operate and long-term resilience.
RSK Global Experts: turning obligations into opportunity
Despite progress, corporate-related human rights abuses persist in many sectors and countries. At RSK Global Experts we believe that business can and must be a powerful force for good.
Drawing on the multidisciplinary strength of the RSK Group, of over 200 companies operating worldwide and our specialists in human rights, sustainability, compliance and risk management we work together to turn high-level principles into practical action. We support clients, sustainability & procurement teams and legal counsel to:
- Carry out independent human rights risk and impact assessments
- Design and implement tailored HRDD frameworks and governance systems
- Provide expert input for investigations, disputes and regulatory reviews linked to the UNGPs
Our approach is grounded in practice. We focus on bridging legal expectations with operational reality to help businesses strengthen accountability, transparency and performance.
Where do we go from here?
As frameworks evolve from voluntary guidance to enforceable standards, the companies that thrive will be those that embed human rights due diligence into everyday practice. Whether it is safeguarding reputation, securing license to operate or futureproofing against legal and regulatory risks, human rights are now firmly on the corporate agenda.
At RSK Global Experts, we are ready to support legal counsel, compliance officers and business leaders in navigating this evolving space. By operationalising the UN Guiding Principles and aligning with the OECD Guidelines, organisations can not only meet their obligations but also lead the way in building more responsible, resilient and trusted enterprises.
RSK Global Experts offers robust support in this area through its global network of in-house subject matter experts and expert witnesses. We assist legal teams, compliance professionals and business leaders with independent human rights risk assessments, development of tailored due diligence frameworks and expert input for disputes or investigations involving the UNGPs.
As corporate accountability frameworks develop from voluntary guidelines to binding obligations, embedding the UNGPs into business practice is an evolving requirement that legal and business advisors are increasingly called upon to address.
Connect at experts@rskglobalexperts.com