Respecting human rights is a core element of social sustainability and corporate responsibility in line with the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are the globally recognized implementation framework for this responsibility.
The consideration of fundamental human rights concerns all companies and their entire value chain, all the way from their parent companies to their subsidiaries and subcontractors, as well as the providers of capital, investors and asset managers. Each level is concerned with the integration of respect for human rights into the company’s strategy and its operations.
In order to fulfil one’s responsibility to respect human rights, an enterprise is required to act with due diligence to avoid infringing the rights of third parties. With due diligence, we are describing the steps a company must take to become aware of, prevent and address adverse human rights impacts.
In order to fulfil one’s responsibility to respect human rights, an enterprise is required to act with due diligence to avoid infringing the rights of third parties. With due diligence, we are describing the steps a company must take to become aware of, prevent and address adverse human rights impacts.
Sociability helps organizations with their human rights due diligence process by mapping the entire value chain and all of the negative effects that the company may in one way or another have on vulnerable groups, such as the poor, children, the elderly, women or other marginalized groups. Afterwards, it is about creating a management system that guarantees that the company addresses any breaches of human rights.
The case of coffee and human rights
COOP – the largest retailer of consumer goods in Denmark – is an example of a company that understands the value of working proactively and responsibly, and Sociability was able to help COOP solve several tasks. One of them is the Human Rights Due Diligence Process for the COOP-ACR Coffee Value Chain.
In the process of building the Coop ‘development by trade’ initiative ‘Savannah 2.0’, Sociability has provided solid inputs into the process of defining the principles and operational criteria for the Savannah brand as part of the Coop CSR strategy. Sociability has guided us thoughtfully through defining our responsibility as leading international retailer in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles and has been instrumental in the implementation of a Human Rights due diligence process for the ACR Coop coffee value chain. Sociability helped us design the HRIA, identified and briefed a highly qualified partner organization to conduct the assessment, which is currently in progress. We are confident that she will continue to be a valuable support for us in the HRIA follow-up process. Sociability also provides solid inputs to the Coop Development and Dialogue model that will form part of the HRIA follow up process.
Elizabeth [from Sociability] is an enthusiastic, reliable and very competent advisor and consultant, whom I fully recommend for businesses looking to find smart solutions to complicated challenges.
– Jesper Frederiksen, Head of CSR, Coop
Read more about the project here: