Glossary
Glossary term

adverse human rights impact

A regulatory term referring to an impact on persons resulting from: (i) an abuse of one of the human rights listed in Part I, Section 1.

1 official sourcessingle_source

What does adverse human rights impact mean?

Adverse human rights impact is part of the formal vocabulary used in supply-chain due diligence, adverse-impact governance, and corporate responsibility. For this glossary, the key point is understanding how the source defines the term and where that definition sits within broader compliance or data requirements.

Official definitions by source

CSDDD

Directive (EU) 2024/1760 on corporate sustainability due diligence

an impact on persons resulting from: (i) an abuse of one of the human rights listed in Part I, Section 1, of the Annex to this Directive, as those human rights are enshrined in the international instruments listed in Part I, Section 2, of the Annex to this Directive; (ii) an abuse of a human right not listed in Part I, Section 1, of the Annex to this Directive, but enshrined in the human rights instruments listed in Part I, Section 2, of the Annex to this Directive, provided that: — the human right can be abused by a company or legal entity; — the human right abuse directly impairs a legal interest protected in the human rights instruments listed in Part I, Section 2, of the Annex to this Directive; and — the company could have reasonably foreseen the risk that such human right may be affected, taking into account the circumstances of the specific case, including the nature and extent of the company’s business operations and its chain of activities, the characteristics of the economic sector and the geographical and operational context;

Reference: Article 3, point c

View official source

Why it matters in practice

In practice, this term matters when mapping who is responsible for obligations, declarations, market placement, recordkeeping, or due-diligence steps within supply-chain due diligence, adverse-impact governance, and corporate responsibility.

Minespider commentary

For Minespider, adverse human rights impact is best treated as a responsibility and workflow term. The important question is which actor, document, or compliance step the source is actually assigning through this definition.

Common confusions

  • Assuming the everyday meaning of adverse human rights impact is enough without checking the official source definition.
  • Using adverse human rights impact as a loose generic label rather than the narrower meaning used in the source text.
  • Confusing adverse human rights impact with a neighboring legal actor or responsibility term without checking how the source allocates obligations.