Through this programme, we embed human rights and environmental sustainability across all group operations, implementing responsible sourcing policies and supplier guidance. From 2022, this framework will underpin operational policies that govern Avon and other Natura &Co brands’ operations and supply chains – including but not limited to our work to prevent and remedy modern slavery. This director will report to the Group Chief HR Officer, a member of our Group Operating Committee. We will form a steering committee and identify eight priority human rights areas, set up an external advisory group, train all employees on the statement, and disseminate its requirements to external stakeholders. A new Human Rights Steering Committee will handle strategic planning and decision-making. Natura &Co, including Avon, will finalise our management and operational structures to implement our Human Rights Statement. It has clearer governance and accountability, and will integrate human rights management into all standard business activities. In turn, this officer will regularly report to the Audit, Risk Management and Finance Committee, which has specific responsibility to review human rights risks.
This policy framework will apply to all group and brand employees, workers, contractors, consultants, franchisees, suppliers and supply chain workers, sourcing communities and other business partners. These expectations also apply to our suppliers’ supply chains and we ask our suppliers to ensure that our Code of Conduct and the requirements of our Responsible Procurement programme are cascaded and communicated to our suppliers’ supply chains. In 2021 we started to develop group-wide procurement policies and to work towards full traceability and/or certification for these six materials. Working with the human rights consultancy Elevate, we benchmarked each group company’s human rights policies and actions against best practice, including the UN Guiding Principles, the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, the Women’s Empowerment principles, best practice among other companies, and recommendations from trade unions and NGOs. HGO is also a forum for the dissemination of market research and hard-hitting articles on best practices for Canadian retailers. Po st h as been generated with G SA C on te nt G enerat or Dem oversion.
Aligned with global best practice, this framework is more comprehensive and proactive than our previous approach and has a scope beyond our employees and suppliers. The Supplier Code of Conduct forms part of our contractual agreements with all suppliers and acceptance of these terms are a pre-requisite of working with Avon and our sister brands. This includes Avon social audits, carried out by our appointed third-party auditing agency – Bureau Veritas, (66 audits), as well as other robust third-party audits that we accepted in lieu of Avon social audits, such as those conducted by SMETA (392 audits) or BSCI (which can be shared with other selling companies). Our auditing process is a vital due diligence tool as it helps our suppliers and their factories understand their responsibility to comply with our ethical standards. The Responsible Procurement team works directly with suppliers and factories to ensure that they build capacity and demonstrate compliance with the requirements of Responsible Procurement Programme . With existing suppliers, we strengthen their understanding, capacity and systems to prevent, uncover and resolve any issues relating to modern slavery. Our policies on fair recruitment, employment of young people, hours of work, diversity and inclusion, and working with suppliers, include robust provisions to tackle issues relating to modern slavery.
In 2021 we found no new direct evidence of modern slavery in our operations or supply chains. Anyone working in our operations or supply chains can anonymously report any labour concerns to the free Natura &Co Ethics Line. The Natura &Co Ethics Line enables anyone working in our operations or supply chains to anonymously report any suspected breach of our codes of conduct, policies or standards, online or via a 24/7 telephone service available in 23 languages. At Group level, for the first time we conducted a light-touch Group wide risk assessment of our global operations and supply chains, externally conducted by ELEVATE limited based on information we submitted regarding our operations and supply chains and ELEVATE’s own risk data. As part of our ongoing commitment to working with suppliers and factories that share the Avon values of honesty and integrity, and respect workers’ rights, we aim to ensure full audits are conducted at all in-scope factories every two years. New associate ‘lifecycle’ surveys and check-ins – conducted with new associates after 30 days, 90 days and 12 months of joining Avon. Avon is committed to supporting suppliers and their factories to improve working conditions in their production sites and supply chains.