The Responsible Contracting Project
The mission of the Responsible Contracting Project (RCP) is to improve human rights in global supply chains through innovative contracting practices. We develop and disseminate practical contractual tools to support more cooperative relations between supply chain firms and better human rights outcomes for workers.
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About Us
The Toolkit
Learn more about all of RCPs open source tools and how you can use them
Our Mission Statement
Our Core Principles
The history of RCP
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.
The three "Rs" of responsible contracting are:
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Responsible allocation of risks and responsibilities: Set aside supplier-only guaranties of perfect compliance in favor of a joint commitment to cooperate in carrying out human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD)
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Responsible purchasing practices: Commit the buyer to engage in purchasing practices that can support effective HREDD
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Remediation first and responsible exit: If an adverse impact happens, provide remedy to victims and take measures to ensure the harm stops and does not reoccur before turning to traditional contract remedies (e.g., suspending payment and canceling orders). Exit should only be pursued as a last resort, taking measures to mitigate the impact.
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RCP was co-founded in 2022 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.