Workshop A

What Meaningful Human Rights Due Diligence Approaches Look Like in Practice

10 Sep (Thur) Day 1 : 10:15 – 11:30

Full Programme
Workshop A

As human rights due diligence (HRDD) becomes more embedded in regulation, investor expectations and business practice, companies face growing pressure to demonstrate not only compliance, but real outcomes for workers and communities across their supply chains.

Most companies already have HRDD systems in place, including audits, supplier data collection, ESG reporting and grievance mechanisms. Yet many continue to face persistent labour rights issues, limited visibility beyond Tier 1 suppliers, and uncertainty about whether their efforts are effectively preventing harm.

The challenge is often not a lack of tools, but how they are used. Audits and ESG reporting remain central to due diligence programmes and will continue to play an important role. However, when treated mainly as compliance exercises, they often fail to identify root causes, support remediation, or generate meaningful insight into worker risks.

This interactive workshop explores what effective HRDD looks like in practice, and how common tools can be strengthened and complemented to improve visibility, prevention and remediation.

Session Learnings:

  • Attendees will learn how to move HRDD from a compliance-focused exercise to a system that drives real improvements in working conditions and outcomes.
  • They will understand how to strengthen the use of audits so they go beyond identifying non-compliances and actively support corrective action and remediation.
  • They will explore how ESG reporting can be designed to inform decision-making and risk management, rather than functioning only as a disclosure requirement.
  • They will gain insight into how companies can improve visibility beyond Tier 1 suppliers and identify risks that traditional audit approaches often miss.
  • They will also examine practical ways to integrate prevention and remediation into existing due diligence systems so that identified issues are addressed more effectively and sustainably.

Post-Event Actions:

  • Delegates are encouraged to take forward a more practical and impact-focused approach to human rights due diligence within their own organisations.
  • Key actions include reviewing how existing audit and ESG reporting processes are used, and identifying opportunities to shift them from compliance-oriented exercises toward tools that support prevention, corrective action and remediation.
  • Participants are also invited to assess gaps in visibility beyond Tier 1 suppliers and consider additional approaches to better understand and address on-the-ground risks

Speakers

Gayang Ho

The Centre for Child Rights and Business

Director of Research

Gayang leads the research team in developing research studies, impact assessment tools, and insights based on evidence at The Centre for Child Rights and Business. Her work focuses on child and human rights due diligence issues and related risk areas. She has more than 18 years of experience in market and policy research across various private, public, and social sectors.

Before joining The Centre, she worked on research programmes related to sustainable development, such as climate change, sustainable mobility, sustainable development education, corporates’ sustainability programmes, and environmental philanthropy. She has published and presented her work at or on behalf of various development bodies, including UNDP, Asia Development Bank, UNICEF. Her exposure to different sectors, stakeholders, and international markets helps The Centre spread awareness of child rights risks and solutions among the business community. She has a Master of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto.

Speaking at 2026 sessions:

Day 1

What Meaningful Human Rights Due Diligence Approaches Look Like in Practice

Ines Kaempfer

The Centre for Child Rights and Business

CEO

Ines is the CEO of The Centre for Child Rights and Business, a global social enterprise headquartered in Hong Kong, with programmes and staff across over 30 countries. With over 15 years of expertise in supply chain sustainability, she has been at the forefront of addressing child rights, labour rights, and human rights issues in Asia and beyond.

Since 2014, Ines has been instrumental in guiding The Centre to help businesses understand and address their impact on children, especially within supply chains. She leads the organisation’s strategic direction, overseeing global operations, and engaging with major multinational companies and partners. Ines also drives the development and scaling of innovative child rights and human rights due diligence programmes across diverse industries.

Under her leadership, The Centre has grown into a recognised leader in child rights and business, working with an expanding network of international companies and partners to create lasting, positive change for children, youth and parents worldwide.

In addition to her role at The Centre, Ines serves as the Chair of the Steering Committee of the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), a multi-stakeholder platform launched in 2020 to mobilise supply chain-wide resources and support a fair, safe and formal artisanal cobalt sector. As Chair, she helps guide the FCA’s strategic direction, align stakeholders and ensure accountability to its mission. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA), where she contributes to developing recommendations that support APSCA’s mission and objectives and represent the perspectives of all stakeholders.

Speaking at 2026 sessions:

Day 1

What Meaningful Human Rights Due Diligence Approaches Look Like in Practice

Satte Tsao

Li & Fung

Senior Vice President, Vendor Compliance and Sustainability​

Speaking at 2026 sessions:

Day 1

What Meaningful Human Rights Due Diligence Approaches Look Like in Practice

With thanks to