UN Rights Chief Warns EU Not to Weaken Corporate Sustainability Directive

The CSDDD—enacted last year—requires large companies operating in the EU to identify, prevent, and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts throughout their global value chains.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged the European Union to ensure that upcoming revisions to its flagship Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) do not undermine essential human rights principles. As EU lawmakers enter the final stage of negotiations, Türk expressed concern that some proposed amendments risk diluting the Directive’s effectiveness and undermining its alignment with established international standards.

The CSDDD—enacted last year—requires large companies operating in the EU to identify, prevent, and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts throughout their global value chains. It represents one of the most far-reaching legislative efforts to date to regulate business conduct and anchor sustainability obligations in binding law.

Concerns Over Proposals That Limit Companies’ Ability to Detect Human Rights Risks

Türk warned that several proposals under consideration would restrict the information companies can request from suppliers and business partners—a change he said would severely limit their ability to conduct meaningful human rights due diligence.

“Some of the proposals risk undermining the Directive’s effectiveness, enforceability, and integrity,” he said. “It is important that the revised Directive retains a risk-based approach, fully aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”

Under the UN Guiding Principles, businesses are expected to identify risks based on severity and likelihood of harm, regardless of where in the supply chain those risks may occur. Limiting access to information, Türk emphasized, would weaken this core process.

Business Impacts: The Risk of Parallel Due Diligence Systems

Türk also highlighted the financial and operational implications of diverging from the UN Guiding Principles. Many large companies have already invested heavily in due diligence systems that reflect internationally recognized standards.

“If the EU Directive departs substantially from the UN Guiding Principles with a different approach to risk management, businesses may have to invest in two separate systems,” Türk warned. “One system to comply with the Directive, and another to meet international standards and laws aligned with them.”

Such duplication, he cautioned, would add cost and complexity at a time when companies are already facing rising regulatory, reputational, and legal risks associated with human rights violations in their supply chains.

The Stakes Are High for Corporate Responsibility in Europe and Beyond

The CSDDD has been widely praised as a groundbreaking step forward for responsible business conduct, requiring large companies to:

• Identify and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts

• Manage risks linked to supply chains and business partners

• Adopt climate transition plans aligned with climate mitigation goals

• Demonstrate effective oversight and governance mechanisms

Any weakening of the Directive, Türk said, would have consequences far beyond Europe, given the EU’s central role in setting global sustainability and human rights standards.

A Clear Call to Uphold Human Rights Principles

Türk urged EU lawmakers to preserve the spirit and purpose of the Directive, protecting its alignment with global norms and ensuring that companies remain accountable for the human rights impacts of their operations.

“At a time when failures by businesses to properly identify and address severe human rights risks are already proving financially and reputationally costly, weakening due diligence systems would be a step backward,” he said.

The High Commissioner reiterated that strong, consistent, and internationally aligned regulation is essential to ensure that corporate practices protect people, communities, and the environment—not perpetuate harm.

The EU’s final decision on the revised Directive will be closely watched by governments, civil society, corporations, and human rights advocates worldwide.