Sustainable Global Supply Chains: From Transparency to Due Diligence

Abstract

In recent years, global supply chains have repeatedly been in the spotlight for both recurring labour violations and gross violations of human rights at supplier factories and other sourcing points. The sites of the human rights abuses are often located in countries in the developing world with weak laws and/or weak law enforcement mechanisms. In these settings, transnational corporations (TNCs) tend to wield a great deal of power due to the potential economic development for the host state. The combination of strong private business interests and weak governance results in a power imbalance that often sacrifices human rights protections for individuals and sustainability objectives, such as decent work and reduced inequalities, in order to maximise the economic value of the TNC’s operation. This chapter will combine public international law perspectives on human rights due diligence in global supply chains with domestic law approaches and contribute to the growing literature on due diligence in supply chain management in the field of business and human rights.