United Nations Global Compact
Communication on Progress 2016-2017
In 2015, the Chambers Federation joined the United Nations Global Compact. The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. The table below shows how we are communicating on progress for the Ten Principles.
For further information on the Chambers Federations sustainability principles and practices please visit http://www.chambersfederation.com/sustainability/ or https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/64881 to view our participation with the UN Global Compact.
Global Compact Principles
Human Rights
Principle 1 Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.
Principle 2 Business should make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
The Federation invests into several initiatives which help to promote and develop basic human rights. Investing into rural and undeveloped regions, initiatives like Fair Congo and the Fair Congo Foundation work with stakeholders to manage and monitor high risk supply chains to ensure that the sale of natural resource based products from these areas does not go to support armed conflict. These initiatives go even further to develop these supply chains by establishing fair-trade standards and adherence to OECD guidelines.
Labor Standards
Principle 3 Business should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
Principle 4 Business should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor.
The Federation’s initiatives focus heavily on the implementation of all OECD guidelines including the worst forms of child labor in its supply chains and fair-trade standards as detailed by the World Fair Trade Organization. The largest direct recipients of investment are cooperatives and disadvantaged groups, typically women.
Principle 5 Business should uphold the effective abolition of child labor.
Principle 6 Business should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
This is further monitored by yearly audits to ensure the Company’s efforts are effective. Federation management and workforce, including contract workers, is made up in excess of 90% women and youth (35 years or younger).
Environment
Principle 7 Business should support a precautionary approach to environmental responsibility.
Principle 8 Business should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
Principle 9 Business should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
The Federation incorporates environmental protection into all of its supplier contracts, monitors environmental impact of its investments and actively invests in new technologies to reduce the ‘footprint’ of its projects. The Federation is currently developing new opportunities, specifically in the ASM community, to eliminate the usage of Mercury(Hg), Cyanide(NaCN) and Nitric Acid(HNO3) in scale from its supply chains and is currently implementing an eco-friendly standard in its Fair Congo ASM gold supply chain.
Anti-Corruption
Principle 10 Business should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
The Chambers Federation is a US company, subject to FCPA regulations. All of the Federation accounts are restricted in use to limit the possibilities of corruption and all accounts are audited yearly, at minimum, in countries where corruption is widely prevalent.
Measurement of Outcomes
For the 2016-2017 reporting period, the Federation has initiated its investment into the Democratic Republic of Congo, focusing on the former conflict zones in the Kivu region. The Fair Congo initiatives are working with other stakeholders in the region, including USAID, to develop sustainable supply chains, focusing initially on conflict-free ASM gold. The Federation also began developing a new women empowerment project called Ukweli Jewelry, a woman owned and operated jewelry business based off of the Fair Congo gold supply chain. The Recycle Tribe initiative is also expanding from Kenya to DRC, creating new empowerment opportunities for women in the region. While measurement of these initiatives is limited at this time, we expect to begin to measure results, impact figures, with more accuracy in the beginning of 2018.