Under the notion of human rights due diligence (HRDD), firms are under a responsibility to account for the social and environmental impact connected to their operations across global value chains. This responsibility intersects with the sphere of operation of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), which certify production against certain social and environmental criteria. With mandatory European rules on HRDD in the making, the question arises regarding the extent of alignment of VSS with HRDD notions and, consequently, the possibility for this form of transnational private regulation to complement European Union (EU) HRDD legislation. After presenting the regulatory effects of HRDD in global value chains and its current transposition in EU instruments, this contribution examines the relationship between private standards and HRDD. By delving into the substantive requirements and policies of several schemes certifying agricultural commodities, this paper studies the extent to which they manage social and environmental risks in global value chains and the possible support they provide to firms subject to the upcoming HRDD obligations.

中文翻译：

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自愿标准在全球价值链中管理社会和环境风险中的地位

根据人权尽职调查 (HRDD) 的概念，公司有责任考虑与其在全球价值链中的运营相关的社会和环境影响。这一责任与自愿可持续性标准 (VSS) 的运作范围相交叉，该标准根据某些社会和环境标准来证明生产。随着欧洲关于 HRDD 的强制性规则的制定，关于 VSS 与 HRDD 概念的一致性程度以及因此这种形式的跨国私人监管补充欧盟 (EU) HRDD 立法的可能性出现了问题。在介绍了 HRDD 在全球价值链中的监管影响及其在欧盟文书中的当前转换之后，本文探讨了私营标准与 HRDD 之间的关系。