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Human Rights

Brands are committed to The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights and are putting people and respect for human rights at the centre of their responsible sourcing programmes.

“We believe that mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence legislation has a role to play in promoting respect for human rights, among a broader range of approaches where all businesses and states need to meet their respective responsibilities and/or duties.”

AIM – European Brands Association

AIM’s collaborative global responsible sourcing initiative – AIM-Progress – is about positively impacting people’s lives and ensuring respect for human rights.

As part of this commitment to respect human rights in their value chains, brands are  implementing Human Rights Due Diligence, which consists of:

  1. Putting in place a HRDD processes.
  2. Embedding respect for human rights into corporate policies.
  3. Undertaking ongoing human rights due diligence.
  4. Assessing actual and potential adverse impacts in own operations and across business relationships.
  5. Integrating and acting on the findings.
  6. Tracking effectiveness of efforts.
  7. Communicating about efforts.
  8. Implementing effective grievance mechanisms.

AIM is actively involved in the discussions on a possible future EU legislative framework on Human Rights Due Diligence. Our AIM contribution to the debate supports a framework which:

  1. Encourages robust HRDD processes fully embedded in governance and company culture, not a mere “tick-the-box” exercise.
  2. Sets standard of conduct – companies need to take reasonable steps to prevent and address human rights impacts across their value chains.
  3. Encourages collaboration by companies within and across sectors.
  4. Be part of a smart mix of measures – mandatory and voluntary, national and international. Businesses need to respect, States need to protect Human Rights.  

PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS DUE DILIGENCE

#BRANDS4HumanRights

AIM activities

Brands seek to understand and respond to what people want, need, expect and desire, constantly striving to create, craft and develop differentiated products to meet, and indeed, exceed these expectations, reflect aspirations and address needs.

Hands Holding Globe Glass In Green Forest – Environment Concept – Usa elements of this image furnished by NASA
Environmental Due Diligence
AIM commentary: Environmental Due Diligence

Environmental Due Diligence will be part and parcel of the upcoming EU Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) and Sustainable Corporate Governance (SCG) legislation as environmental impacts are closely linked to human rights impacts.

Whilst HRDD is well described in international reference frameworks, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, environmental due diligence reference frameworks are harder to come by, with the exception of chapter VI of the OECD guidelines. Together with amfori, the global business association for open and sustainable trade, AIM has outlined its views to this debate.

Responsible Sourcing Initiative – AIM-Progress

AIM-Progress is a forum of leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) manufacturers and common suppliers, assembled to enable and promote responsible sourcing practices and sustainable supply chains. It is a global initiative supported and sponsored by AIM, the European Brands Association.

The goal of AIM-Progress is to:

Positively impact people’s lives and ensure respect for human rights, while delivering value to our members and their supply chains.

Our members work together to co-create solutions and share best practices to drive positive impact, quickly, efficiently and at scale, within the branded consumer goods supply chain. We abide by applicable anti-trust legislation.

Our key objective is to build capability so that member organisations and their suppliers have the knowledge, confidence and ability to develop and execute robust responsible sourcing programmes.

  • We focus on the issues that matter – respect for human rights.
  • We aim to drive positive impact through responsible sourcing.
  • We prioritise practical action, not just conversation, to create lasting change in global supply chains.
  • We believe in collaboration between brands and suppliers (with due respect for anti-trust legislation).
  • We believe in building partnerships and networking.
  • We collaborate to drive convergence in approaches to responsible sourcing.

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