Business & human rights glossary
Plain-language definitions and expert context for buyers, practitioners and leadership teams — HRDD, HREDD, UNGPs, modern slavery, responsible sourcing and related terms.
This glossary explains terms you will meet in human rights due diligence, responsible sourcing and social impact work. Each entry combines a plain-language definition with Claire Lynch Consulting’s practical commentary for business readers. These definitions support practical implementation of human rights due diligence.
- Human rights due diligence (HRDD)
- How organisations identify, assess, prioritise, act on, monitor and report human rights risks and impacts in operations and supply chains.
- Read full entry →
- Human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD)
- Due diligence that addresses human rights and environmental risks together across value chains.
- Read full entry →
- UN Guiding Principles (UNGPs)
- The global framework of protect, respect and remedy that underpins modern business and human rights practice.
- Read full entry →
- Modern slavery
- An umbrella term for severe exploitation including trafficking, debt bondage, forced labour and related abuses.
- Read full entry →
- Forced labour
- Work extracted under threat or coercion — the most common form of modern slavery in global supply chains.
- Read full entry →
- Responsible sourcing
- Embedding social sustainability into how goods and services are bought, not only how suppliers are audited.
- Read full entry →
- Stakeholder engagement
- Bringing internal teams and external partners into shared understanding and action on human rights issues.
- Read full entry →
- Risk-based prioritisation
- Ordering scarce HRDD effort by severity for people, rather than by convenience or audit coverage alone.
- Read full entry →
- Theory of Change
- A structured account of how activities are expected to lead to positive social change — the foundation for measurement.
- Read full entry →
- Responsible purchasing practices
- Procurement behaviours — lead times, costing, forecasting, payment — that shape conditions for workers upstream.
- Read full entry →
- Grievance mechanism
- Channels for people to raise concerns and seek remedy when business-related harm occurs or is at risk.
- Read full entry →
How to use this glossary
It is educational context for buyers and practitioners — not legal advice, and not a substitute for counsel on your specific obligations.
Looking for practical support on HRDD, measurement or training? Explore our services.