Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 26
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To be able to respect human rights, non-State actors need to know the actual and potential impact of their activities on the realization of human rights. According to the framework of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, such actors are required to exercise due diligence "to become aware of, prevent and address adverse human rights impacts". Due diligence is understood as "a comprehensive, proactive attempt to uncover human rights risks, actual and potential, over the entire life cycle of a […] business activity, with the aim of avoiding and mitigating those risks". That responsibility is not a mere passive one, but requires active steps to put into place the necessary policies, mechanisms to identify actual and potential harm to human rights, and grievance mechanisms.
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Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation