First human rights report of de Volksbank
In February 2019, we published our first report on human rights risks together with ASN Bank. In this report, we take a look at the risks of human rights violations in our supply chain, our customer base, our own organisation and in companies in which we invest. Colleagues at ASN Bank and the Utrecht-based sustainability consultancy firm Sustainalize made a major contribution to this report.
The human rights risks have been analysed in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. According to these guiding principles, businesses have a responsibility to prevent or mitigate negative impacts on human rights.
At ASN Beleggingsfondsen we take a critical look at the following risks:
1. living wage in the garment industry;
2. living wage in the agri-food industries;
3. workplace health and safety in garment industry;
4. consumer safety in the pharmaceutical industry;
5. clinical trials in the pharmaceutical industry.
In our Human Rights Report 2019 you can read how de Volksbank aims to mitigate the negative impact on these five risks. This is an ongoing process. We will report on the progress again next year.
Interviews
The analysis was carried out using desk research and was supplemented by interviews with colleagues from the most relevant departments: ASN Beleggingsfondsen, ASN Duurzame Financieringen, Human Resources, Procurement, Service Center Small Business Banking and Strategy.
De Volksbank and human rights
Human rights have always been a crucial part of ASN Bank's sustainability policy. Since 2018, de Volksbank has applied the principles of this policy to all its activities.