Topic in Focus

Heightened human rights due diligence (hHRDD) in conflict-affected and high-risk operating contexts, examined through one company's project in Myanmar and the international and local advisory support that informed it. When local conditions mean that human rights due diligence needs to be enhanced, how does a company adapt its approach in practice, and how do international and local expertise contribute to that process?

Overview

Heightened HRDD is well established in guidance from UNDP, OHCHR and others, but more often described in principle than shown in practice. In this deep dive, a business representative presents a project undertaken in Myanmar, joined by the two consultants who advised on it: an international adviser with expertise on relevant frameworks and comparable high-risk contexts, and a Myanmar-based adviser with local knowledge of the operating environment. The discussion turns to specific operational questions: how to conduct stakeholder engagement where civil society space is restricted, how to verify supplier information where on-site checks are unsafe, and how to decide whether to stay, adjust engagement, or exit. The result is a practical, first-hand account of what heightened due diligence actually involves.

Who should attend?

Business practitioners in sustainability, human rights, compliance, procurement and legal functions operating in or sourcing from high-risk Asian markets; advisers and civil society organisations working on responsible business conduct; and policymakers involved in due diligence standards.

What participants will gain

• An operational account of hHRDD in Myanmar that complements existing guidance documents

• An understanding of how international and local advisory expertise support decision-making

• An approach to the question of whether to stay, adjust engagement, or exit