The global value chains pose many challenges in terms of human and environmental rights. As a leading international trade and tourism company, REWE Group is aware of its responsibility within the global flow of goods and services. We are therefore committed to strengthening human rights and environmental due diligence and to prevent, minimise and remedy any violations.
At REWE Group, we are aware that we can only be successful in the long term if the impact of our business activities is in compliance with people and the environment. We also know that the implementation of human rights due diligence in our own business operations as well as in supply and value chains is an ongoing process. For this reason, we continuously examine where particular risks on human rights violations exist in our supply chains and our own company. In doing so, we rely, on the one hand, on risk and hot spot analyses specially prepared for us. On the other hand, we as REWE Group review the impact of our actions on human rights in cooperation with external experts. Child and forced labour, income, working hours, discrimination, safeguarding the right to freedom of association as well as occupational health and safety have been identified as particularly sensitive areas.
We align our business operations with internationally applicable standards and guidelines, such as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the conventions and recommendations of the International Labour Organisation on labour and social standards. Based on these standards and the findings from the risk analyses, we at REWE Group have derived guidelines and policies. They form the binding framework for all employees and business partners and define specific goals and measures. These include the Code of Conduct, the guidelines on sustainable business practices, fairness, and sustainability standards for suppliers as well as the guidelines for the raw materials we focus on, such as cocoa, textiles, and fish. In addition, we have also implemented a comprehensive grievance mechanism.
We have set out our strategy for respecting human rights and environmental issues in our declaration of principles. In addition to procedural descriptions of our risk management and the priority human rights and environmental risks identified for REWE Group, it also encompasses our expectations of our employees and suppliers. The declaration of principles is a living document. Among other things, regular updates are made when risk analyses are carried out within the framework of the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains and the results have been evaluated. All processes, measures, and responsibilities communicated in the declaration of principles are anchored and implemented in the relevant business processes of REWE Group.
In order to fulfil our responsibility, we rely on a broad range of measures: trainings for employees and suppliers, audits, implementation of our own (aid) projects, and formulation of concrete requirements for suppliers and service providers. All of our business partners are obliged to comply with minimum requirements, such as international and national laws and the core labour standards of the International Labour Organisation. In addition, the challenges in the global value chains require approaches that will change entire industries in the long term. For this reason, we initiate and are involved in industry initiatives with the aim of engaging as many shareholders as possible along the value chain and to jointly find approaches for lasting positive developments. In addition, we cooperate with recognised certification organisations.
