Human Rights Advisory

Our human rights advisory work supports organisations in gaining the confidence of investors, governments and local communities, resulting in the protection of brand, reputation, workers and communities, as well as building long-term resilience and value creation.

Human Rights Advisory Hero

The corporate responsibility to respect human rights and prevent and mitigate any violations has never been greater, as a result of growing regulation, investor demands and consumer scrutiny. Using our leading human rights experts with expertise in law, advocacy and business, S-RM enables organisations to strengthen their own governance and operate in challenging geographies.

Why S-RM

Experienced

We work with listed and private companies, as well as investors, governments, community-based organisations and non-profits, meaning we understand well the different regional and market challenges.

Global coverage

Experts across 9 offices worldwide, speaking 45+ languages and leveraging deep regional knowledge. We can work in conflict and hard-to-access regions, as well as supporting your supply chain, wherever it may be located.

Clear and practical solutions

We apply the highest standards of analytical rigour to our assessments in order that you can rely on clear information and practical advice. This enables you to make faster decisions and prioritise resources based on our recommendations.

  • Human rights have risen up the corporate agenda and are now a must-have for any organisation. At S-RM we have been delivering human rights advisory support to our clients for years, providing them with support ahead of regulatory and investor requirements, as well as acting quickly when faced with human rights challenges.
  • Trusted and specialist sector support. Our track record means we understand well the demands on businesses operating in specific regions and different sectors, and we can benchmark against others in your sector so you understand what best practice or minimum operating standards look like.
  • Our lengthy human rights experience and varied backgrounds of our human rights experts means we understand well the key international human rights frameworks and domestic regulation, helping you to integrate and operationalise them into your business strategies and operations. 
  • Global network of specialists and advisors means we can support you both with your own operations and a supply chain further afield, including in hard-to-access regions and conflict zones.
  • Common sense and proportionate approach scaled up or down according to your needs, risks and budget.
  • Our human rights specialists are supported by S-RM’s ESG, intelligence and cybersecurity experts, offering the opportunity for discreet human rights investigations and integrated cyber expertise. 

Our services

Human Rights Impact Assessments

Tailored HRIAs and access to remedy, with reference to international human rights instruments. HRIAs can be conducted remotely or on site.

Risk mapping

Human rights risk mapping and risk registers across assets and operations, as well as horizon scanning for trends, risks and opportunities, in order to inform strategic and operational decision making.

Regulatory alignment

We help you to meet your domestic and international legislative requirements, as well as international reporting frameworks, right from understanding human rights compliance requirements through to reporting.

Governance

A review of your organisation’s human rights governance compared with international standards and frameworks, and industry and investor expectations, in order to improve resilience.

Investigations

Discreet gathering of sensitive human rights intelligence to support investigations, disputes and decision-making ahead of investments.

Programme and capability building

We work with companies of all sizes to build your human rights strategies from the ground up, to support on specific human rights policies, or to sense check existing practices.

Supply chain and responsible sourcing

Supply chains are one of our clients’ biggest concerns, so we map all tiers of your supply chain, assess for risks, conduct due diligence, monitor risks and work with your suppliers to improve their practices.

Human Rights Monitor

AI-enabled real time tracking of human rights risks and regulations globally or in your key markets, to inform operational response and strategic decision-making.

Case study

Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA)

On behalf of an energy client, we conducted a pilot HRIA at their main site, to be later rolled out to six other assets. Our approach used best international practice, including the UN General Principles for Human Rights and OECD Guidance, as well as a site visit and interviews, and adopted the Commit – Identify – Integrate – Track – Communicate – Remedy methodology. As a result, we were able to provide the client with a human rights risk register to monitor human rights performance and an access to remedy plan, as well as build a stakeholder engagement plan.

Case study

Modern Slavery Investigation

Acting for a potential litigant, S-RM was instructed to investigate the labour practices at a luxury resort in South Asia. We discreetly obtained intelligence regarding the recruitment of employees and their working conditions, including through the use of specialised open source intelligence techniques to analyse the social media accounts of migrant workers. We were able to gather evidence of mistreatment, inappropriate practices and modern slavery at the site, with our evidence used to pressure the report into reforming its practices. 

Case study

Human Rights Due Diligence

Ahead of our client’s prospective investment in an agribusiness in East Africa, we conducted due diligence to identify and assess the human rights risks around the potential investment. We discreetly interviewed former employees at the company, reviewed documents provided in the data room, and analysed our findings with reference to the pertinent human rights issues in the region and against the UN General Principles, as well as other human rights commitments made by our client. Our findings were a contributing factor in our client’s investment decision.

Case study

Supply Chain Governance

Our client was concerned about human rights vulnerabilities within its manufacturing supply chain, so we conducted a gap analysis on the processes and policies at six companies, assessing them against international human rights frameworks and standards, as well as the client’s own policies and requirements. We also conducted remote interviews with stakeholders at the sites. From this, we were able to provide a series of recommendations for the companies to prevent business-related human rights abuses and bring them in line with our client’s supply chain policies, as well as operational-level grievance mechanisms and access to remedy recommendations. 

Meet our experts

Our human rights specialists have backgrounds in law, advocacy and business, and have worked in challenging human rights geographies across the world.

Natalie Stafford
Natalie Stafford

Head of ESG and Sustainability
Belén Satorre
Belén Satorre

Head of Human Rights
Talk to us today

Get the human rights support your organisation needs

Our human rights advisory support will help you to gain the confidence of investors, governments and local communities, resulting in the protection of your brand, reputation, employees and wider communities. Get in touch with our team of human rights specialists to learn how we can assist you today.

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