DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES ON THE RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Commitment to the protection of human rights
As an internationally active company with over 450 employees and subsidiaries over several continents, BJB has a high level of responsibility for all its employees and for society. We are aware of this responsibility and we actively promote compliance with laws, standards of conduct and human rights along our entire value chain. We expect and encourage our employees and business partners to ensure this compliance and we do not tolerate any form of forced labour, child labour, discrimination or other violations of human rights.
With this Declaration of Principles, we commit to reinforcing respect for human rights along our value chain and preventing human rights violations. The Declaration is regularly reviewed and continuously updated in line with all relevant changes.
National and international standards, guidelines and organisations
The following international standards and guidelines are fundamental to our business activities and cooperation with our business partners:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations (UN)
- The Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
- The Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises established by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- The ten principles of the UN Global Compact (UNGC)
The ten principles of the UN Global Compact (UNGC)
Human Rights
- Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.
- Businesses should make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Labour
- Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
- Businesses should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour.
- Businesses should uphold the effective abolition of child labour.
- Businesses should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Environment
- Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
- Businesses should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
- Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Anti-Corruption
- Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
BJB supports the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We plan to become members of the UN Global Compact this year. In doing so, we are reinforcing our commitment to respecting human rights both within our own company and among our business partners.
Codes of conduct for employees and business partners
The BJB Code of Conduct is a binding guideline for all employees and managers of BJB worldwide. It is based on the ZVEI-VDMA Code of Conduct and obliges all employees to implement our defined values both in their day-to-day work and in dealing with business partners. Employees receive training on the Code of Conduct and other relevant topics at the beginning of their employment with BJB and at regular intervals thereafter. Compliance with the Code of Conduct is reviewed by the management.
The risk of human rights violations within the scope of our corporate activities arises primarily from the upstream value chains. We have therefore developed a Supplier Code of Conduct (Supplier CoC) for our business partners, which sets out binding criteria for responsible conduct in accordance with ethical and legal standards. With this Code of Conduct, our aim is to ensure that our business partners and their upstream suppliers comply with the same specifications to which we must adhere. It refers to four critical areas of influence: Corporate integrity, human rights and labour standards, occupational health and safety and environmental protection. The written declaration of compliance with our Supplier Code is mandatory for all business partners of the BJB network. We review the extent of its implementation as part of our purchasing management processes. These include a comprehensive risk analysis and an annual risk assessment of all significant direct suppliers.
In order to systematically prevent or counteract violations, we have established channels through which employees at BJB, employees in the supply chain, customers, business partners and all other stakeholders can report any non-compliant behaviour or voice their concerns. Complaints can be reported to BJB’s Compliance Officer in a discreet and confidential manner.
We regularly train all employees on our Code of Conduct, in particular on the proper conduct in the workplace, ethical decision-making and compliance with laws and regulations. Our purchasing department also receives regular training specifically concerning the BJB Code of Conduct for Business Partners.
Continuous further development
We will regularly review and adapt the Declaration of Principles to reflect current changes and processes. We also report on our approach, our progress and the commitments we have made with regard to human rights on an annual basis as part of our Sustainability Report.