The Mission

We are the Responsible Contracting Project (RCP). 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, investors, policymakers, civil society organizations, and transparency initiatives—to socialize our Responsible Contracting Toolkit (“the RCP Toolkit”) and facilitate the integration of its three core principles of Responsible Contracting into supply chain contracting practices and processes.

​

The RCP Toolkit advances a major shift in contract design to align more closely with the principles of human rights due diligence (HRDD) enshrined in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct (OECD Guidance). The Toolkit, along with our guidance on its implementation, is made freely available here.

 

With human rights and labor 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.