Business and human rights
While key areas such as company law, employment law, international trade regulation, and many industry-specific matters remain reserved to the UK Government, we actively support the business community in Scotland to advance equality and human rights. We do this through our use of public procurement, grant funding, legislation, and guidance, and speaking regularly to industry and governments. Our actions are guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, public bodies are required to consider how procurement can improve economic, social, and environmental wellbeing and reduce inequality.
We published updated human rights due diligence guidance in January 2025 which sets out recommendations on how we, our executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies should undertake due diligence on an individual or company’s human rights record before entering into an “investment relationship”.
We encourage employers across all sectors to adopt fair work practices. Public sector grants and contracts are linked to the Fair Work First criteria, which employers are expected to meet where relevant and proportionate. This ensures that public investment supports inclusive and equitable workplaces.
To address exploitation in business operations and supply chains, the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 introduced a new offence of slavery, servitude, and forced or compulsory labour. In 2018, we published Guidance for Businesses outlining their role in preventing and mitigating trafficking and exploitation, reinforcing our commitment to ethical and rights-respecting business practices.
Human rights are also central to our Vision for Trade which embeds human rights as a core consideration in trade policy. The Plan for Growing Scotland’s Exports sets out our clear expectations for Scottish-based companies to adopt ethical business practices, conduct due diligence on business partners, and understand local conditions in export markets.