Due Diligence: US government InfoHub goes live

The U.S. Department of Labor has launched the Responsible Business Conduct and Labor Rights InfoHub. It aims to support businesses in integrating labor rights and responsible practices across their global supply chains.

Why it matters: The hub provides information, guidance, and tools for the private sector, emphasizing the importance of responsible business conduct and the need for companies to improve their practices.

What's next: With the launch of the InfoHub, companies are encouraged to utilize the resources provided to enhance their labor rights practices and improve transparency in their supply and value chains.

The bottom line: The Responsible Business Conduct and Labor Rights InfoHub aims to foster responsible business practices by supporting companies with valuable information, guidance, and tools, contributing to a more ethical and sustainable business environment.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Link to Responsible Business Conduct and Labor Rights InfoHub.

Thea Lee, the deputy undersecretary for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, explains why the hub was set up:

By 2026, companies are projected to spend over $27 billion a year on voluntary social audits to report on labor abuses in their supply chains. Yet, no audit would have stopped the tragedy in India. And in 2013, the Rana Plaza factory collapsed in Bangladesh, killing over 1,100 workers – days after an audit found no problems in the building. Voluntary third-party audits have all too often shown their limitations.

We believe businesses can and must do better. That’s why we’ve released the Responsible Business Conduct and Labor Rights InfoHub, a one-stop shop for information, guidance and tools from the U.S. government and international organizations to support the private sector in integrating labor rights and responsible business practices in their operations and across their global supply chains.

This comes as part of the U.S. government’s second National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct, founded on the Biden-Harris administration’s bedrock belief that businesses can have success while doing good, and that governments should create the conditions for responsible business conduct to take place.