PART 4: HOW SHOULD BUSINESS RESPOND?
Identifying and assessing human
rights impacts
Human
rights
due
diligence
rights issues outlined in Part 3 to understand
where there may be either risks of human rights
begins
with
identifying and understanding the human rights
impacts occurring, or actual instances of human
rights impacts occurring.
harms your business may be associated with.
This involves assessing the actual and potential
adverse human rights impacts that your business
may be involved with through its activities,
operations and relationships.102
To effectively identify potential risks and impacts,
it is important to develop an understanding of
your business’ structure and operations, including
your supply chains. Understanding the structure
of your business and your business relationships
will assist you to develop an understanding of
where risks may exist. For example, if you are tour
operator and use a food and beverage provider,
do you know where the food is being produced?
Supply chain risk
analysis
The Roundtable Human Rights
in Tourism, an open network to
support tourism businesses on their
way to respecting human rights
in tourism, has developed a list of
potential human rights risks that
may occur within the tourism supply
chain focusing on specific stages
and processes including retail and
sales, tour operators, transportation,
accommodation, food and beverage,
and tourist activities.103
Or where the raw materials are sourced?
Once you have a clear overview of your business
and its relationships, it is time to begin the
process of identifying what actual or potential
adverse human rights impacts your business
may be causing, contributing to or directly
linked to. This process can take various forms,
however it is often useful to begin by conducting
research and engaging with internal and external
stakeholders about potential risks and impacts.
Engaging with rights-holders themselves, such
as employees, workers in your supply chain, and
their human rights risks at once. However, many
businesses have complex structures, multifaceted
projects and investments, and global supply
chains with numerous tiers. Recognising these
complexities, the human rights due diligence
process does not ask businesses to address
every human rights risk immediately, but rather
to prioritise addressing their most severe human
rights risks first.104
communities or customers who may be affected
For instance, the Intercontinental Hotels Group
by your business, is also critical to gain a better
(IHG) identified what the business’ most severe
understanding of the situation.
potential human rights risks were, based on
For the tourism industry, it is recommended that
you start by looking at your business operations
and supply chains with regard to the human
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Some businesses may be able to address all
their scale, scope and whether and how they can
be remediated,105 and then elected to address
modern slavery as a priority.106