About us
RCP works to improve human rights in global supply chains by developing and disseminating practical tools to implement human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) in commercial contracts. Our international team of legal and business and human rights experts collaborates with companies, investors, and public and private standard setters to achieve uptake and implementation of the core RCP Principles, which operationalize the shared-responsibility approach to HREDD enshrined in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct.
Our workstreams
RCP aims to transform the role of contracts in managing human rights and environmental (HRE) risks through four main types of engagement with:
1. Governmental organizations: including lawmakers, regulators, and enforcement agencies
2. Companies: individual and groups of companies, as well as consultancies
3. Private standard-setters: including certification schemes, industry and membership associations, and benchmarking organizations
4. Investors: including mainstream, faith-based, and impact investors.
RCP provides the following services*:
RCP offers multiple open-source tools for due diligence-aligned contracting here. These tools can be selected, edited, and adapted as users see fit.
High-level, informational sessions where we explain why contracts matter for HRE risk management, how companies usually get contracts wrong, and how responsible contracting can help achieve better HRE outcomes and legal compliance. These webinars are typically provided at no cost and last about one hour. They serve as an initial step in establishing new partnerships and collaborations.
We go over the why and what of responsible contracting in closer detail, discuss specific model contract clauses, and lead group exercises where participants (e.g., companies, consultancies, law firms, civil society groups, investors) work with the clauses, using different scenarios. RCP may charge a fee for these workshops, which usually last around three hours and can take place in person, hybrid, or virtually.
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RCP conducts various types of gap analyses to assess due diligence alignment. The analysis can focus on the gaps between a company’s (or group of companies’) supply contracts and one or more of the following:
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The company’s own code of conduct
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HREDD laws (e.g., the German Supply Chains Act and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive)
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RCP’s model clauses.
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We can also provide a gap analysis between the company’s code of conduct and the HREDD laws, or RCP's own Buyer Code of Conduct.
The gap analyses are designed to help organizations better integrate due diligence into their operations, contracts, and codes of conduct. They are typically provided on a fee-basis over the course of a couple of months.
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We collaborate closely with our partners to develop sector-specific recommendations and model contract clauses (e.g., tea, apparel, shipping, electronics). Using a collaborative approach, we design responsible contracting tools that address the unique risks and challenges specific to the sector. These tools are typically provided on a fee-basis.
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See our FAQs
The Toolkit
Learn more about all of RCPs open source tools and how you can use them
The latest news
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