UNDP Training Guide on Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence (hHRDD)
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released a comprehensive Training Facilitation Guide on Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence (hHRDD) to support companies operating in conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRAs). As global standards evolve and expectations on corporate conduct increase, the guide provides a step-by-step framework to help businesses understand and manage their human rights and conflict-related impacts responsibly.
Why the Guide Matters
In conflict-affected environments, companies face significantly elevated risks of contributing to human rights violations—directly or indirectly. Traditional human rights due diligence (HRDD) is often insufficient in these contexts. hHRDD goes further by examining how business activities can drive, sustain, or worsen conflict, and how companies can mitigate these risks.
The guide builds on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), recent work by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, and emerging legislation—such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)—which increasingly requires companies to tailor due diligence to conflict-affected areas.
Key Components of hHRDD
1. Understanding Conflict Dynamics
Companies must begin with a rigorous conflict analysis. This involves identifying:
- Key conflict actors
- Drivers of violence
- Historical grievances
- Patterns of power and resource competition
Regular updates are essential, as conflict conditions evolve quickly.
2. Linking Business Operations to Conflict
The guide stresses analysing how business activities interact with conflict. For example:
- Procurement practices
- Security arrangements
- Land acquisition
- Relationships with state and non-state actors
These linkages may influence conflict dynamics even when unintended.
3. Identifying Human Rights Risks
Companies are urged to engage meaningfully with rightsholders and communities to understand actual and potential rights impacts—especially on vulnerable groups such as women, Indigenous Peoples, minorities, and displaced persons.
4. Preventing, Mitigating, and Remedying Harms
hHRDD requires integrating findings into corporate governance, decision-making, and operating procedures. Companies must:
- Develop context-sensitive mitigation plans
- Validate these plans with stakeholders
- Implement remedies when harm occurs
5. Transparency and Continuous Improvement
Disclosure is a core expectation. Companies should publicly communicate their hHRDD efforts, challenges, and progress, while continuously revisiting their assessments as situations change.
Who Should Use the Guide
The training materials target:
- Company leadership and managers
- Compliance, sustainability, legal, security, and supply chain teams
- International organisations, CSOs, and National Human Rights Institutions
It is designed for in-person, hybrid, and remote training for groups of 20–25 participants.
Supporting Resources
The guide includes:
- Detailed case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America
- Practical tools for conflict analysis
- Guidance on stakeholder engagement
- Resources on grievance mechanisms and responsible exit
Conclusion
UNDP’s hHRDD Training Guide offers an essential roadmap for responsible business conduct in fragile and high-risk environments. It equips companies with the knowledge and tools they need to avoid exacerbating conflict, safeguard human rights, and strengthen accountability. As global expectations rise, hHRDD is becoming not only a moral imperative but a compliance requirement for companies operating in complex environments.