Human Rights Policy
Scope
As a fundamental operating principle, we strive to respect human rights wherever we do business. We are committed to doing no harm, to avoiding infringing on the human rights of others, and to addressing adverse human rights impacts where they may be caused, contributed by, or linked to our activities.
- We Will
- Seek to avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through our own activities, and address such impacts if they do occur in a timely manner
- Seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly related to our operations, products and services through our business relationships
- If we identify that we have caused or contributed to adverse human rights impacts, provide for or cooperate in their remediation through legitimate processes
- Continue to look for ways to support the promotion of human rights within our operations and our sphere of influence
Our commitment is guided by the principles set forth in the Human Rights Act 1998, as well as in the following international standards:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
- United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Where national law and international human rights differ, we will follow the higher standard; where they are in conflict, we will adhere to national law, while seeking ways to respect international human rights to the greatest extent possible.
Assessing human rights risks and impacts
We recognise that we must take steps to identify and address any actual or potential adverse impacts with which we may be involved whether directly or indirectly through our own activities or our business relationships. We manage these risks by integrating the responses to our due diligence into our policies and internal systems, acting on the findings, tracking our actions and communicating with our stakeholders about how we address impacts.
Due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate, account and remediate human rights impacts
We understand that human rights due diligence is an ongoing process that requires particular attention at certain stages in our business activities, such as when we form new partnerships or our operating conditions change, as these changes may create new potential or actual impacts on human rights. We understand that this means that we must put in place additional due diligence measures to assess these risks and address them effectively, where appropriate, using our leverage to work either in one-to-one relationships or in broad-based partnerships. We recognise the importance of dialogue with our employees, workers and external stakeholders who are or could potentially be impacted by our actions. We pay particular attention to individuals or groups who may be at greater risk of negative human rights due to their vulnerability or marginalisation and recognise that women and men may face different risks.
Remedy
We place importance on the provision of effective remedy wherever human rights impacts occur through company-based grievance mechanisms. We continue to build the awareness and knowledge of our employees and workers on human rights, including labour rights, by encouraging them to speak up, without retribution, about any concerns they may have, including through our grievance channels. We are committed to increasing the capacity of our management to effectively identify and respond to concerns. We also promote the provision of effective grievance mechanisms by our suppliers.
Monitoring human rights impacts
We seek to establish relationships with entities that share the same principles and values. We promote human rights awareness and respect along our value chain, including the adoption of legal contractual clauses. We will seek to monitor our human rights performance and the performance of our suppliers through audits.
Reporting human rights impacts
We will publicly report on our human rights performance on an annual basis.
