Overview

Human rights due diligence (HRDD) is becoming an integral part of the operating environment for businesses across Asia. Companies increasingly face expectations from international standards, responsible sourcing requirements, investor expectation and emerging national legislation to identify, prevent, address and account for adverse human rights risks throughout their operations and supply chains. However, many organisations continue to approach HRDD primarily as on compliance-based exercises that struggle to translate policy commitments into meaningful implementation and measurable outcomes and build business resilience. 

This interactive multi-stakeholder panel explores how HRDD can move beyond regulatory compliance to become a strategic tool for strengthening governance, business resilience and responsible supply chains. Bringing together policymakers, businesses, suppliers, industry associations and supporting organisations, the discussion will explore how these expectations can be translated into practical business systems and stronger supply-chain relationships.

The discussion is informed by implementation evidence from research involving more than 20 international brands and over 230 supply-chain enterprises in China, together with regional experience from Thailand as well as other ASEAN countries and policy consultations supporting Thailand's Draft Act on the Promotion of Responsible Business Conduct.  Rather than comparing countries, the session will identify common implementation challenges and practical solutions that are relevant across sectors and jurisdictions.

Through business, policy and rights-holder perspectives, panellists will discuss practical approaches to integrating HRDD into business operations, including governance and leadership, risk assessment, supplier capability, buyer-supplier collaboration, stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms, remediation and evidence of continuous improvement. The session will highlight how governments, businesses and supporting organisations can work together to strengthen responsible business conduct while reducing fragmented expectations and supporting resilient supply chains across Asia.

Why it matters

Across Asia, businesses are navigating an increasing complex due diligence landscape by evolving international standards, buyers' requirements and emerging national laws. However, compliance alone does not automatically translate into protection of human rights or business resilience. Fragmented customer requirements, inconsistent implementation, limited supplier capacity and weak stakeholder engagement continue to undermine effective due diligence that leave risks unaddressed.

By combining evidence from China, regional implementation experience across ASEAN and policy developments in Thailand, this session provides practical insights into how businesses can embed HRDD into decision-making and supply-chain management while identifying the respective roles of governments, industry associations, buyers, suppliers and civil society in supporting continuous improvement.

Key questions

The discussion will explore four key questions:

• To what extent are businesses ready with an effective and risk-based human rights due diligence system from the perspectives of regulatory compliance and business resilience?

• From the experience in China and the ASEAN region, what do they reveal about business awareness, supplier capability and governance gaps?

• How can emerging legislation, including Thailand’s draft responsible business conduct Act, support practical implementation while avoiding fragmented compliance requirements across supply chains?

• What roles should businesses, policymakers, industry associations and supporting organisations play in reducing fragmented requirements, strengthening collaboration, supplier capability and enabling continuous improvement in human rights due diligence across Asia?

Session objectives

The session aims to:

• Explore how HRDD can strengthen business resilience, governance and responsible business conduct beyond regulatory compliance.

• Share implementation evidence and practical lessons from businesses, research and regional initiatives across China, Thailand and other ASEAN countries 

• Discuss common implementation challenges, including supplier readiness, governance, stakeholder engagement, grievance mechanisms and remediation, and identify practical approaches to overcoming them.

• Promote dialogue on how businesses, policymakers, industry associations and supporting organisations can collaborate to build more resilient and rights-respecting supply chains across Asia.

Who should attend?

• Business leaders and practitioners from buyers and suppliers working in procurement, responsible sourcing, sustainability, compliance, human rights, risk management and supplier development

• Policymakers, regulators, business and industry associations, trade unions, worker and rights-holder representatives, civil society organisations, international organisations, and practitioners who design or support human rights due diligence systems in Asian supply chains

  
  

What participants will gain

Participants will leave with:

• A clearer understanding of how human rights due diligence can strengthen risk management, governance and supply-chain resilience, rather than function only as a compliance exercise

• Evidence based insights into business readiness and supplier capability gaps and implementation challenges from China and ASEAN countries, together with lessons from Thailand’s developing regulatory framework

• Practical approaches to governance, risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, buyer-supplier collaboration, grievance mechanisms, remediation, documentation and continuous improvement

• A better understanding of how business, policymakers, industry associations, worker representatives and civil society can work together to advance HRDD implementation across Asia.

Additional resources

How ready are Chinese companies for overseas due diligence requirements, and what comes next?: https://www.amfori.org/chinese-companies-due-diligence-readiness/

《尽责立法背景下的中国供应链企业——挑战、认知与应对》: https://qr61.cn/ohiIhj/q4mr8K8