Due Diligence and the Duty to Protect Human Rights

This chapter shows that a state’s duty to protect human rights is an obligation that requires due diligence. As a standard of conduct under international human rights law, due diligence demands balancing a foreseeable risk to a protected interest against countervailing interests. The chapter reviews the practice of human rights courts and treaty bodies, concerning gender-based violence, business activities, official misconduct, and natural hazards. It reveals the way that due diligence requirements are operationalised in practice. The chapter argues that, despite occasional arguments to the contrary, due diligence does not dilute established standards of international human rights law but complements them. It serves to effectively mitigate risks to human rights no matter the risks’ source, in a manner that is also able to address systemic problems.