Chapter 04 · People & supply chainsHuman Rights & Social Sustainability
Affected communities
Definition
Affected communities are people living or acting collectively in places or social contexts where an organisation's operations, products, services or value-chain relationships cause or may cause positive or negative effects on rights, wellbeing, livelihoods, environment or cultural heritage.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Affected communities” is defined and used.
Overview
How it is used
Employers, buyers, suppliers, governments, workers and affected communities use “Affected communities” in workplace policy, sourcing, human-rights due diligence, community engagement and supply-chain management.
In each case, the user should state the affected population, supply-chain boundary, local context, timeframe and evidence from rights-holders; otherwise, the same term may be applied to materially different situations. In this context, it refers to groups of people whose rights, wellbeing, livelihoods, environment or cultural heritage may be changed by an organisation's operations or value chain.
Why it matters
It can affect whose rights, needs, risks and experiences are recognised in decisions. Clear use of “Affected communities” helps decision-makers distinguish an intention, activity or label from demonstrated results and reduces the risk of misleading claims.