Arisa calls on companies to act responsibly by respecting human rights in a number of different ways. For companies, Arisa acts as a source of information, a watchdog, a discussion partner and a participant in Responsible Business Conduct initiatives.
Read more below
Businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights. They must identify (risks of) abuses in their business operations, prevent them and provide redress when abuses occur. This applies to their own company and direct business relationships, and also to the entire supply chain in which they operate. This responsibility is set out in international guidelines from both the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Arisa calls on companies to act responsibly by respecting human rights in a number of ways.
Arisa‘s research on supply chains in South Asia provides companies with insight into working conditions in specific supply chains and sectors. It highlights the severity of abuses and malpractices and discusses the effectiveness of efforts to address them. Before publication, we give companies named in our research reports the opportunity to review and respond to the findings.
Arisa engages with companies on the human rights abuses and grievances we find in their supply chains. If companies address abuses effectively, this can be mentioned positively in a report. However, if we find repeated abuses and there is no improvement, we publish and disseminate our findings more widely. We sometimes do this through partnerships and campaigns in which we are involved.
Arisa is open to dialogue with companies that are serious about addressing (the risks of) human rights violations and abuses in their supply chains. A dialogue with a company may involve providing feedback or pointing out specific tools. Conversely, we may question a company about its supply chain. However, Arisa is not a management consultant; in many cases we will refer companies to sectoral or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
In some cases, Arisa works with companies on a long-term basis. This is often in the context of broader initiatives involving trade unions, other civil society organisations and the government as well as companies. For companies, such collaboration can help them to address abuses in their supply chains.
We look for the following when deciding whether to join an initiative: the initiative must have concrete objectives; companies must remain ultimately responsible; and they must be willing to make a substantial commitment and be transparent about the supply chain. Government involvement in the initiative and a link to government policy are also important factors.
When we identify abuses in supply chains, we raise the issues with companies and point out the need for due diligence.
Read more about our vision on due diligence and the different areas of focus for due diligence below.
Based on Arisa’s practical experience, we highlight a number of aspects of due diligence that have proven to be crucial in effectively addressing human and labour rights abuses.
Information from stakeholders – especially local stakeholders – in the due diligence process is an essential complement to risk assessments, which today are often one-sidedly based on audits.
When companies disclose their supply chains, human and labour rights abuses can be better identified and addressed.
Effective grievance mechanisms, or complaints mechanisms, are a critical part of the due diligence process for companies committed to respecting human and labour rights in their supply chains.
