Practice area

Business and Human Rights

We help companies, investors and institutions identify and prevent risks to people before they become legal, operational and reputational liabilities, with due diligence that meets the expectations of clients, investors and regulators.

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Approach

Protecting people also protects the organization

Human rights abuses in operations or supply chains create concrete risks: lawsuits, fines, lost contracts and financing, and reputational crises. When affected people are heard and risks are addressed early, these costs fall and the trust of clients, investors and communities grows.

Drawing on legal rigor and experience in Brazilian federal public policy and in consulting for international organizations, we help boards and committees move from a risk inventory to a prioritized plan, backed by human rights criteria for contracts (in coordination with the legal team), supplier assessments and on-site verification.

Areas of work

How we help

Baseline and impact assessment

Assessment of human rights maturity, risks and impacts, with clear priorities for the organization and for each project.

When clients call usWe need to understand how mature our processes are and identify where human rights violations could occur.

Strategic Human Rights Assessment

Assessment of the organization’s human rights maturity and risks, based on the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines.

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What it is for: A clear view of where the organization stands, what is most severe and what to do first.
Key deliverables: Risk heat map
Prioritized action plan
Executive report
Who it is for: Companies building ESG governance
Compliance, risk, HR, operations and procurement teams

Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA)

Assessment of actual and potential impacts of projects and value chains on workers, communities and vulnerable groups.

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What it is for: Severe impacts identified and addressed before they become conflicts, delays or liabilities for the project.
Key deliverables: HRIA report
Severity matrix
Mitigation plan
Who it is for: New projects
Sustainability, permitting, community relations and procurement teams

Due diligence and governance

Policies, processes and committees that build human rights into decisions and meet the expectations of clients, investors and regulators.

When clients call usA client, investor or bank has asked for evidence that due diligence has been carried out.

Human Rights Due Diligence Framework

Setting up the full cycle of identifying, preventing, mitigating and accounting for impacts, aligned with the UN Guiding Principles, the OECD Guidelines and the CSDDD.

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What it is for: Due diligence that works in daily operations and meets the expectations of clients, investors and regulators.
Key deliverables: Human rights policy
Due diligence manual
Supplier management
Who it is for: Corporate governance, compliance, procurement, legal and sustainability teams

Advisory Support for Specialized and Executive Committees

Ongoing technical support to boards and committees on human rights, sustainability, risk management and crisis agendas.

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What it is for: Better-prepared agendas and more consistent, well-documented collective decisions.
Key deliverables: Briefing notes for agendas
Action plan follow-up
Governance summary
Who it is for: Boards, statutory committees, crisis committees and executive teams

Listening and grievance mechanisms and sensitive cases

Accessible listening and grievance mechanisms protected against retaliation, and independent support in handling sensitive cases.

When clients call usComplaints surface late, and first through the press.

Listening and Grievance Mechanisms

Design and improvement of listening and grievance mechanisms in line with the effectiveness criteria of Principle 31 of the UN Guiding Principles.

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What it is for: Issues known and addressed early, with protection for those who report and less risk of crises or lawsuits.
Key deliverables: Grievance mechanism protocol
Non-retaliation policy
Indicator dashboard
Who it is for: Ombudsman offices, ethics committees, internal audit and community relations

Support on Sensitive Cases, Complaints and Ombudsman Matters

Technical support in investigating, classifying and referring serious complaints, such as harassment, discrimination and abuses involving suppliers and communities.

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What it is for: Safer and more impartial ethics committee decisions, with respect for everyone involved.
Key deliverables: Case report
Recommendations with safeguards
Trend analysis
Who it is for: Ombudsman offices, ethics committees, HR, legal and compliance

Decent work and psychosocial risks

On-site verification of working conditions, in operations and among contractors, and structured dialogue with teams.

When clients call usPsychosocial risks, harassment or working conditions are now on the agenda (NR-1).

On-Site Decent Work Monitoring

Verification of working conditions at construction sites, worker accommodation, harvesting sites and suppliers, against ILO standards and Brazilian regulatory standards (NRs).

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What it is for: Non-conformities fixed before fines, shutdown orders or public exposure of the company and its value chain.
Key deliverables: Photo report with severity ratings
Corrective action plan with deadlines
Contractor guide
Who it is for: Procurement, logistics, HR, operational risk and internal audit

Dialogue Circles in Operations

In-person listening sessions with in-house and contractor teams at field sites, to spot tensions early.

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What it is for: Warning signs of harassment, insecurity or discrimination picked up early, with input for managing psychosocial risks (Brazil’s NR-1).
Key deliverables: Facilitation guide
Anonymized alert report
Management recommendations
Who it is for: Operations managers, construction teams, HR and occupational health and safety

Community relations

Engagement with neighboring communities, Indigenous peoples and traditional communities, to reduce conflict, delays and litigation.

When clients call usA project, permit or expansion runs into trouble with the local community.

Community Listening and Social Participation

Participatory processes and culturally appropriate dialogue with Indigenous peoples, traditional communities and communities near operations.

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What it is for: Trust-based relationships with communities, clear commitments and fewer conflicts, delays and lawsuits.
Key deliverables: Engagement plan
Listening reports
Commitments matrix
Who it is for: Government relations, operations, sustainability teams and foundations

Event and Dialogue Facilitation

Curation, mediation and facilitation of dialogue forums, stakeholder panels and seminars on complex issues.

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What it is for: Safe and productive dialogue, even on highly charged topics, with clear next steps.
Key deliverables: Event design
Moderation
Summary with next steps
Who it is for: Industry associations, sustainability and communication teams, and public bodies

Turn due diligence into an advantage for your organization

Talk to the partners to assess where your organization stands and define the best starting point.

Talk to the partners