The latest from RCP
September 3, 2024 - RCP and the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) launched the Tea Sector Model Clauses (TMCs) to help buyers, relevant intermediaries, and producers in the tea sector implement their commitment to responsible business conduct through responsible contracting.
The Mission
Founded in 2022, the Responsible Contracting Project (RCP) is a non-profit initiative housed within Rutgers Law School.
RCP’s mission is to drive better outcomes for people and the planet through better, more Responsible Contracts. We develop practical contractual tools that promote shared responsibility for human rights and the environment in global supply chains.
Our interdisciplinary team of experts works hand in hand with various stakeholders—businesses, industry associations, public and private standard setters, investors, and civil society organizations—to socialize the three core principles of Responsible Contracting and our Toolkit (“the RCP Toolkit”).
RCP’s open-source Toolkit advances a major shift in contract design to align more closely with the principles of human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) enshrined in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct.
With human rights and environmental practices coming under increasing regulatory scrutiny, particularly in the E.U. and the U.S., new tools are needed to effectively prevent and address adverse human rights impacts in global supply chains. The Responsible Contracting approach, which promotes shared responsibility principles, focuses on improving the role of contracts in this process.
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Background and History
RCP was co-founded by Sarah Dadush and Olivia Windham Stewart, leading members of the American Bar Association Business Law Section Working Group to Draft Model Contract Clauses to Protect Human Rights in International Supply Chains (the ABA Working Group). The ABA Working Group published the Model Contract Clauses 2.0 (the MCCs 2.0) and the Responsible Purchasing Code of Conduct (the Buyer Code) in the Spring of 2021. Since then, the RCP team has been working to develop and support the uptake of new Responsible Contracting tools in line with our core principles.
Our work is made possible thanks to the generous support provided by the Laudes Foundation, Open Society Foundations, GIZ, and our pro bono counsels, Allens, Goodwin Procter, and Linklaters.
RCP is housed within Rutgers Law School’s Center for Corporate Law and Governance.
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The Toolkit
Explore the RCP Toolkit, which includes
model contract clauses,
a code of conduct,
implementation guidance, and policy analysis.
Where you can learn about our past and upcoming events, publications, and interviews.
In Collaboration with
